When Slaven Bilic gathered his West Ham United players for pre-season in July, he had one priority above all others: to work them harder. He thought that Premier League teams did not train hard enough and that there was an edge that West Ham could gain by out-working everyone else. So he planned to tear up their weekly schedule, move their day off from Wednesday to Thursday, introduce more double sessions, taking advantage of the new expensive Rush Green training base.

Five months later, Bilic admitted in the press room of the London Stadium that the exact opposite has happened. The intensity and work-rate and commitment has entirely dissipated from the club. “I feel responsible for this,” Bilic admitted. “Somewhere down the line, since pre-season, we lost our intensity in training. Our intensity, and our dedication to the cause, is missing.”

The result is a West Ham team that is embarrassingly easy to play against, which does nothing at all to make it difficult for the opposition. One player who faced West Ham recently described them as one of the worst teams he had ever faced at Premier League level. They are an abject mess and there is no reason whatsoever why, one third of the way into the season, they should not go down.

That is why Bilic spent Monday in very serious talks with the West Ham board about how to turn around a season that is heading in the wrong direction fast. The problem they face is that what Bilic identified – a lack of intensity – is as much of a symptom as a cause. Plenty of different things have gone wrong this season, some of them mistakes, some of them bad luck. But they have combined to strip away everything that made West Ham such a powerful side last year, one that with three games left still had a reasonable shot at fourth place.

When Bilic spoke about working hard on Saturday evening, it sounded insufficient, or at least incomplete. If that was a usable answer, it would have worked before now. He admitted that there was no “secret formula”, no simple trick, like a Rubik’s cube, that could untangle this problem. In fact, when Bilic admitted that he had already “changed the system, changed the personnel…to try to provoke something new” he sounded like a man who had run out of answers some time ago.

The problem is that it is a very general malaise at West Ham. Too many things have combined to go wrong. Last season they had Upton Park, and everything that went with it. They had Dimitri Payet, desperate to show what he could do in the Premier League. And in Bilic they had a charismatic clever new manager who could inspire the players to do whatever he told them to. This year Upton Park is a building site, Payet does not play with the same hunger he showed last year, and Bilic’s ability to motivate his players, by his own explicit admission, has slipped away.

Throw on top of that bad luck that was not under Bilic’s control. West Ham have been dreadfully unlucky with injuries, and have never had anything like their full first team together. They have spent much of this season without a fit centre-forward, or with only one, which is remarkable for a Premier League club which was in Europe at the start of the season. Jonathan Calleri and Gokhan Tore have been almost entirely forgotten about and are unlikely to play for West Ham again. Simone Zaza has made very little impression , Andre Ayew has been unlucky with injuries, and only Edimilson Fernandes has been a success. It remains hard to understand why the club did not pay the money to sign Christian Benteke from Liverpool.

West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Lukasz Fabianski - 7 LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal collides with Lukasz Fabianski of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) Marc Atkins Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Pablo Zabaleta - 7 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 West Ham's Pablo Zabaleta in action with Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. DAVID KLEIN REUTERS West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Issa Diop - 7 LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Issa Diop of West Ham United in action during the FA Cup Third Round match between West Ham United and Birmingham City at The London Stadium on January 5, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Avril Husband/West Ham United via Getty Images) Getty West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Angelo Ogbonna - 6 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in action with West Ham's Angelo Ogbonna and Samir Nasri REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. DAVID KLEIN REUTERS West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Aaron Cresswell - 7 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in action with West Ham's Aaron Cresswell REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. DAVID KLEIN REUTERS West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Mark Noble - 6 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 West Ham's Mark Noble in action with Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. DAVID KLEIN REUTERS West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Declan Rice - 8 LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Declan Rice of West Ham United celebrates with his team mate Samir Nasri of West Ham United after scoring their team's first goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) Marc Atkins Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Michail Antonio - 6 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 West Ham's Michail Antonio in action with Arsenal's Granit Xhaka Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. JOHN SIBLEY Action Images via Reuters West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Samir Nasri - 7 LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Samir Nasri of West Ham United in action during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) Catherine Ivill Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Felipe Anderson - 8 West Ham United's Brazilian midfielder Felipe Anderson looks to pass the ball during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Arsenal at The London Stadium, in east London on January 12, 2019. (Photo by Ian KINGTON / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images IAN KINGTON AFP/Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Marko Arnautovic - 6 West Ham United's Austrian midfielder Marko Arnautovic (L) looks to make a pass during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Arsenal at The London Stadium, in east London on January 12, 2019. (Photo by Ian KINGTON / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images IAN KINGTON AFP/Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Bernd Leno - 6 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 Arsenal's Bernd Leno during the warm up before the match REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. DAVID KLEIN REUTERS West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Shkodran Mustafi - 6 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 Arsenal's Shkodran Mustafi reacts after West Ham's Declan Rice scores their first goal REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. DAVID KLEIN REUTERS West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Sokratis Papastathopoulos - 6 Arsenal's Sokratis Papastathopoulos, right, blocks a shot from West Ham's Marko Arnautovic during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal at London Stadium in London, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) Tim Ireland AP West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Laurent Koscielny - 6 Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny runs with the ball followed by West Ham's Samir Nasri, right, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal at London Stadium in London, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) Tim Ireland AP West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Ainsley Maitland-Niles - 6 West Ham United's French midfielder Samir Nasri (L) shoots past Arsenal's English midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles (C) but wide of the post during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Arsenal at The London Stadium, in east London on January 12, 2019. (Photo by Ian KINGTON / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images IAN KINGTON AFP/Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Matteo Guendouzi - 6 LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Marko Arnautovic of West Ham United clashes with Matteo Guendouzi of Arsenal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) Marc Atkins Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Granit Xhaka - 5 Arsenal's Granit Xhaka tackles West Ham's Samir Nasri, right, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal at London Stadium in London, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) Tim Ireland AP West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Sead Kolasinac - 6 epa07277451 West Ham United's Michail Antonio (L) in action against Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac (R) during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at the London Stadium in London, Britain, 12 January 2019. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EPA West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 5 Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Arsenal - London Stadium, London, Britain - January 12, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reacts after West Ham's Declan Rice scores their first goal REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. DAVID KLEIN REUTERS West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Alex Iwobi - 7 LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Alex Iwobi of Arsenal battles for possession with Declan Rice of West Ham United and Mark Noble of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) Marc Atkins Getty Images West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings Alexandre Lacazette - 6 LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Pablo Zabaleta of West Ham United battles for possession with Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) Marc Atkins Getty Images

But all of this has combined to produce a team desperately lacking structure and direction. When Darren Randolph was asked last month what had gone wrong, he could not find the answer. “It is not easy to recognise what it is, it is hard to put your finger on it,” he said. “It is not really easy to fix.”