Manchester United's fans didn't exactly have optimism coursing through their veins when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting line-up was confirmed at 1pm on Sunday.
The back five picked itself owing to Luke Shaw's hamstring injury but the front six had a more than uninspiring look about it.
Nemanja Matic's best days are long gone, Andreas Pereira is not good enough and Juan Mata is not as impactful as he once was. Scott McTominay and Daniel James have credit in the bank after good starts to the season but they are still unproven at the top level over a long period of time.
Marcus Rashford looks burnt out.
It was little surprise, then, that United went on to lose so meekly at the London Stadium.
Bereft of quality and creativity, Solskjaer could have no complaints after seeing his team lose for the 10th time in 19 competitive matches.
The United manager may have been without midweek match-winner Mason Greenwood for the trip to the capital, but the 17-year-old wasn't the only youngster who impressed against Astana in the Europa League.
Angel Gomes did eventually emerge as a substitute against West Ham but he might justifiably have felt a tad unfortunate not to have been handed his first Premier League start.
Gomes was head and shoulders above everybody else on the pitch in the first half of United's 1-0 win over the Kazakh champions and the 19-year-old received a rousing ovation from each of Old Trafford's four stands when he was replaced by Mata on the 68-minute mark.
Whereas Tahith Chong was sympathetically applauded by sections of the Stretford End following his competition-winner's performance, Gomes' rousing ovation was truly deserved.
Before Greenwood's emergence it was Gomes who was deemed the jewel of United's academy and just last month academy boss Nicky Butt tipped the youngster to make the breakthrough this term.
"I think Gomes could set alight this season and do really well, he's matured and got a lot stronger," Butt said of a player who was raised in Salford and is the godson of former United winger Nani.
Questions have inevitably been raised about Gomes' slight frame and whether it could restrict him as his career progresses but his first touch and sharpness on the ball should more than make up for his perceived height disadvantage.
He has already bossed League One opposition in the form of Rotherham earlier in the season and it will be a surprise if isn't given another chance to impress when Rochdale visit Old Trafford in the League Cup on Wednesday.
If he shines again and Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard continue to struggle in the Premier League, it won't be long before Solskjaer's hand is forced.
