FT: Everton 4-0 West Ham United: Rooney hat trick sees Hammers embarrassed again

Free agent manager Sam Allardyce is on the verge of taking the managing job at Everton. After Wednesday night, he may have pondered why he isn’t taking the West Ham United job again.

The Hammers were humiliated by their fellow Premier League strugglers, the Toffies 4-0, at Goodison Park, as Wayne Rooney turned back the clock to record his first hat trick for his boyhood club and heap more misery in the rapidly declining career of his first manager David Moyes.

It was an utterly shambolic performance from West Ham, as they will firmly remain in the relegation after the 14th league game of the season. In a first half that ended with the Hammers having not only no shots on goals, but no shots overall, Everton took the lead when Wayne Rooney headed home his saved penalty after Joe Hart denied him initially in the 18th minute. That penalty came after Hart followed Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the box.

Rooney would add a second just ten minutes later, when he was allowed a clear run into the box to finish Tom Davies pass that also went unabated in the box.

After a disastrous first half, West Ham started with needed intent in the second interval, with Aaron Cresswell being unlucky with a good hit off the crossbar. The Hammers then had a golden opportunity to get back in the game, when Diafra Sakho drew a penalty on Ashley Williams in the 58th minute. But Manuzel Lanzini was denied from the spot by Jordan Pickford with no chance for a rebound like Rooney received in his penalty.

The Hammers’ embarrassment would go to a higher level in the 66th minute, when Rooney displayed one of the goals of the season by completing his hat trick from midfield with Joe Hart out of his goal.

And West Ham would be put out of their misery when Ashley Williams made it four for Everton in the 78th minute.

And if you thought the nadir for West Ham’s season was against Everton on Wednesday, that could easily change, as the Hammers next three matches are against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea.