It is just the nature of football fans – especially a fanbase as perennially disillusioned as West Ham United’s – to expect the worst.

So when Lincoln City were reduced to nine men after just 23 minutes at Sincil Bank, you can imagine the thoughts that were spinning intrusively around the heads of those in the away end.

Arne Engels sums up lack of West Ham United quality at Lincoln City

It took over 37 minutes before Lincoln keeper George Wickens was forced into a save, denying a speculative Joel Veltman drive. By that point, Mohamadou Kante had missed a sitter on his return after suspension. A whole host of players had queued up to batter aimless pot-shots into the bodies of Lincoln’s remaining rearguard.

Fortunately, a set-piece would break the home side’s brave resistance. A Jarrod Bowen corner headed in, right at the end of a torturous half, by the trusty head of Mavropanos.

The Hammers needed that. They needed Bowen. Especially with the other of Nuno’s set-piece takers enduring a first-half to forget.

Arne Engels’ set-pieces have been described as ‘world-class’, both during his time at Celtic and this side of Hadrian’s Wall. But as the Hammers struggled to break down a beleaguered, nine-man Lincoln, the sight of Engels whacking a dreadful delivery well over a crowded penalty area and out for a throw-in on the opposite side sort of summed things up.

“It’s a shocker of a ball in,” squealed Sky Sports co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe. “He’s put way too much on it. He just wants to feed the ball into that corridor, between the defensive line and the goalkeeper, and he’s put way too much pace on it.”

That was West Ham epitomised, really. Two extra men, but lacking anything remotely close to the quality required to take advantage. That is, until the dependable partnership of Bowen and Mavropanos brought back the old double-act.