West Ham United's first home Championship match of the season ended in a 2-1 defeat to Charlton Athletic at a sold-out London Stadium, and the supporters who packed the ground have made their feelings very clear.

Joel Piroe marked his debut with a goal to give the hosts hope after falling 2-0 behind, but Valentin Castellanos missed a stoppage-time penalty and Nuno Espirito Santo's side remain without a win in the second tier heading into the early weeks of the campaign.

The case for alarm

A significant number of supporters who contacted the BBC to share their views after the final whistle were scathing. The words "abysmal," "woeful" and "dreadful" cropped up more than once, and the frustration went well beyond a single bad result.

Several fans pointed to a lack of leaders on the pitch. One supporter, Mark, singled out the performances of Max Kilman and Oliver Scarles, arguing the side is defensively fragile and in need of a commanding centre-half. Another, Mary, drew a distinction between Jarrod Bowen, whom she described as a player she loves, and the sort of "backside-kicking captain in midfield" she believes the squad is missing.

Tactical concerns were also aired. Chris called on Nuno to abandon the 4-4-1-1 shape and start three central midfielders, saying the side is "losing initiative in every game." Stephen felt West Ham were playing "walking football," taking too many touches and opting for the safe pass in situations that demanded urgency. The suggestion that the London Stadium could become "every team's cup final" venue, with opponents raising their game for the occasion, was raised more than once.

One fan, Mark W, went further still, arguing Nuno should have been replaced at the end of last season. That view is a minority one in what was published, but it is there.

The case for calm

Not every message was pessimistic. A fan signing off as A Barnes offered a more measured reading of events, pointing to Lewis Orford's "metronomic passing" in the second half and the prospect of Orford and Divine Mukasa developing a productive combination. That supporter's conclusion: two costly individual errors, including the gifted second goal and the missed penalty, were the difference, and "there's no reason to panic yet."

RJ acknowledged West Ham would dominate possession at home but argued the priority was converting chances rather than creating a crisis out of two results. The sold-out London Stadium, noted by Carl among others, was held up as evidence that the supporter base remains committed, even if the performances have not yet matched the effort in the stands.

The wider picture

What makes this moment particularly pointed is the context. West Ham are a club adjusting to Championship football with a squad built, in part, around wages and expectations from a different level. The London Stadium is the largest ground in the division by some distance, and a sell-out crowd represents genuine supporter investment in the project.

Charlton, for their part, arrived as a club with far more modest resources and left with three points, which is the sort of result that concentrates minds quickly in a division where the table takes shape fast.

Two matches in, West Ham have no wins. The promotion picture is still being drawn, but every point dropped at home against sides without parachute payments of their own is a deficit that becomes harder to recover the longer it accumulates.

Whether Nuno finds the answers in training or in the transfer market before the window closes, the supporters at the London Stadium on Saturday made one thing plain: the patience in the building is real for now, but it will not last indefinitely.

Frequently asked

Why did West Ham lose to Charlton at home?
West Ham fell 2-0 behind before Joel Piroe pulled one back on his debut, but Valentin Castellanos missed a stoppage-time penalty that would have levelled the match. Fans cited poor defensive organisation, a lack of leaders and a cautious tactical approach as underlying reasons for the defeat.
What formation is Nuno using at West Ham?
According to supporter reaction after the Charlton defeat, Nuno Espirito Santo has been using a 4-4-1-1 shape. Several fans have called on him to switch to three central midfielders to give the side more control in the middle of the pitch.
How many games have West Ham won in the Championship so far this season?
West Ham are without a win after their opening two Championship matches, having lost 2-1 at home to Charlton and drawn previously. The winless start has prompted concern among supporters, though some are urging calm this early in the campaign.