Charles Walford, Middlesbrough blogger

The last time Middlesbrough travelled to West Ham, they were a Premier League side. By the time they left Upton Park on that fateful day in May 2009, they had been consigned to the Championship.

Boro went into that game knowing that nothing but a win would do; and while the stakes for this Saturday’s clash aren’t quite so high, a fourth defeat in a row would be a crushing blow.

While Saturday’s defeat at home to Tottenham came as a surprise to no one, the manner of it - the lack of a gameplan, the lack of intensity, the failure of anyone to take any responsibility - left fans angry, bewildered and frustrated.

In the first half Aitor Karanka’s side were repeatedly carved open by the visitors, who were even missing a number of key players. A brief revival, spearheaded by the lightning-quick substitute Adama Traore, gave a glimmer of hope, but it’s hard to tell whether that was a sign of things to come or a lucky gamble. If it is the first-half shambles that is repeated regularly then the club will be relegated by Easter.

No one emerged with any credit from Saturday’s debacle but Stewart Downing, Adam Clayton and Gaston Ramirez were, for me, the three main culprits.Their failure to retain any possession and unwillingness to cover ground - either joining the attack of tracking back - meant that the defence were under constant pressure and Alvaro Negredo up front was frequently isolated.

Those performances, and yet another game in which captain George Friend appeared to be out of his depth means Karanka has some very hard decisions to make ahead of the West Ham game.

West Ham are there for the taking - their form is as poor as Boro’s and their defence more porous. And they are finding little comfort in their new home.

But, as Middlesbrough themselves are finding, that will count for very little if the players don’t do their own jobs and take advantage of their opponents’ struggle.

A toothless attack needs a new injection of something, anything. A change of formation? An injection of pace from the start in the form of Traore? Ramirez and Downing dropped to the bench?

My inclination would be for all of the above. For while the relegation battle is barely in its infancy, a repeat of that defeat seven and a half years ago and a similar end-of-season fate may well await.

Hoped-for line-up v West Ham: Valdes - Barragan, Chambers, Espinosa, Gibson - Forshaw, De Roon, Fischer - Traore - Rhodes, Negredo