Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper offered "no excuses" after their 4-0 thrashing at West Ham.
Forest's poor record on the road - the worst attack away from home in all four divisions - was badly exposed again.
Morgan Gibbs-White did thump a shot on target but the visitors never looked likely to score before West Ham's flurry of late goals confirmed defeat that leaves them four points from the drop zone.
"We conceded a goal but then what happened is not acceptable," manager Cooper said.
"The game was taken away from us, it's our own fault and we have to face it.
"Conceding goals quickly was happening to us at the start of the season and we made poor decisions again. It was a mentality thing and we were punished. There are no excuses."