West Ham sit second in the Championship, two points behind leaders Swansea, and the market still makes them favourites to lift the title. Yet for one long-standing supporter, that lofty position comes with a caveat: playing for this club, at this level, is harder than the table suggests.

A grade with an asterisk

Season ticket holder Gus Beagles, speaking to BBC Sport, put the Hammers' start in the "B+, A- bracket" — a mark that acknowledges real quality without pretending the early weeks have been seamless. West Ham have already dropped points from winning positions and the Millwall draw last time out, where two goals were needed to salvage a 2-2 scoreline, illustrated the inconsistency Beagles has in mind.

His verdict matters because it reflects what the wider fan base is quietly thinking. This is a club that arrived in the second tier with Premier League infrastructure, a near-international squad and expectations built accordingly. A B+ is, in that context, an honest score rather than a generous one.

Why London Stadium can work against them

"West Ham have always seen periods where they look nervous," Beagles said, "and I think it's a really difficult club at times to play for."

That is not a criticism of the players so much as a description of the environment. The London Stadium is an enormous venue, and at Championship level the visiting teams arrive with less tactical deference than a top-flight side might show. Every club in this division is either chasing promotion or desperate to avoid relegation; there is no mid-table drifter happy to play out a quiet afternoon. When West Ham do not impose themselves quickly, the atmosphere in the ground can curdle.

"London Stadium can become difficult when it gets nervy," Beagles noted. "It can be a really difficult place to play." That cuts both ways, of course: when confidence is flowing, a big stadium with a passionate following becomes an asset. When a goal goes in against the run of play, however, the silence in 60,000 seats is its own kind of pressure.

Three sources of pressure, not one

Beagles identified what he sees as a compound problem. The players are pressing themselves to secure promotion because they know the club's ambitions. The opposition are motivated precisely because beating West Ham is a scalp in a division where reputations travel. And the fan base, passionate as it is, adds a third layer.

"There's a lot of pressure to play for West Ham," he said, "and especially at this level in the Championship."

That last phrase is worth dwelling on. In the top flight, the noise of expectation blends into routine. In the second tier, where away followings travel in large numbers and home crowds can sense vulnerability more acutely, the psychological weight is concentrated differently. West Ham's squad will be well-paid, but being well-paid and being insulated from crowd anxiety are separate things.

Leeway, but not unlimited

Beagles is willing to extend "leeway" given the adjustment required. A club of West Ham's size dropping into the Championship faces a period of recalibration: scouting, fixture planning, travel logistics and squad management all shift. The fact that they are already second in the table suggests the transition has been managed reasonably well.

The question that will define the season, though, is whether the inconsistency Beagles grades at B+ can be ironed out over the winter months. Swansea are showing every sign of sustaining their early form, and the promotion places will almost certainly require a run of results that leaves no room for nervy afternoons at a stadium still finding its Championship voice.

The supporters are not panicking. But they are watching closely, and they know the difference between a team managing expectation and one genuinely meeting it.

Frequently asked

Where are West Ham in the Championship table?
West Ham are second in the Championship, two points behind leaders Swansea, according to the latest standings.
Why is London Stadium considered a difficult ground for West Ham?
Supporters say that when results go against them, the size of the stadium and the weight of expectation can make it a nervy environment, both for players and fans alike.
Are West Ham favourites to win the Championship?
According to reports, West Ham remain the bookmakers' favourites to win the Championship title, despite an inconsistent start to the season.