West Ham manager David Moyes tried to defend Joe Hart but the goalkeeper's World Cup hopes are once again in danger of slipping through his fingers.
Hart gifted Stoke a goal on Monday night when he fumbled a straightforward shot from Xherdan Shaqiri, allowing Peter Crouch to stab the ball home.
It was not an isolated incident, either, with Hart making a similar mistake against Burnley last month, although that error was somewhat overlooked amid supporter protests and pitch invasions.
This time, however, England manager Gareth Southgate was in attendance, running the rule over Hart and opposite number Jack Butland.