Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer glanced behind him as Marcus Rashford pulled up with a groin injury in the second half.
Romelu Lukaku’s gone. Anthony Martial’s injured and Mason Greenwood’s ill. So he threw on Jesse Lingard at centre-forward.
The same Jesse Lingard who’s scored 17 league goals for Manchester United since 2011.
This is Manchester United - but not as we know it. Rashford’s injury - that could leave the forward doubtful for not only United’s forthcoming fixtures but England’s upcoming Euro 2020 double-header against Czech Republic and Bulgaria - is unfortunate, of course.
But it shines a light over the mistakes that have riddled United’s poor transfer business in recent years. Lukaku had no real future under Solsjkaer, that was clear.
But the fact he wasn’t replaced is negligent at best.
The club’s failure to do so has left their manager struggling to pick up the pieces.
United’s attacking options are alarmingly exposed ahead their Carabao Cup ties against Rochdale on Wednesday - but more pertinently Arsenal on Monday week.
With Rashford now facing a race against time to be available for the visit of Unai Emery’s side, Solsjkaer will be pinning his hopes on having Martial available.
If not then, Greenwood - providing he shakes of his illness - will be hastily thrust into the limelight.
Sojskjaer’s faith in the 17-year-old is unshakable. All the indicators so far suggest the United manager’s belief in his teenager is warranted.
Nonetheless, starting Greenwood against the Gunners wouldn’t have been Solsjkaer’s preferred route.
But that’s the reality for the United boss right now. Another failure against West Ham merely added to the growing feeling that Solsjkaer is on a hiding to nothing.
Why it's been allowed to come to this, though, is a question Solskjaer shouldn’t have answer.
That’s a failure the board must take responsibility for.
Ultimately, though, there’s one man who will inevitably be punished for the way United’s squad has been allowed to deteriorate.
Solskjaer doesn't have to be told who that man is.