West Ham United arrived in the Championship this season carrying the weight of heavy investment and considerable expectation. Within a fortnight, both have begun to look like a burden rather than an advantage.

The Hammers dropped into the second tier after 14 years in the Premier League, and the club's response in the transfer market was emphatic, at least in terms of spending. Nuno Espirito Santo's side broke the Championship transfer record to bring in Arne Engels, while Manor Solomon, Joel Piroe and Divine Mukasa were also added to the squad. The message from the boardroom, dressed in the language of a press release, was clear enough: this club expects to go straight back up.

Yet after two matches, that narrative is already under strain. The 2-2 draw at Turf Moor, which supporters greeted with what could charitably be described as fury, summed up a nervousness that no amount of summer spending has yet managed to dissolve. A side widely expected to challenge for automatic promotion has instead offered evidence that recruitment alone does not guarantee cohesion, or results.

Familiar story, unfamiliar division

Nuno Espirito Santo is not without pedigree at this level. He won the Championship title with Wolverhampton Wanderers, guiding them to the top flight with some style. That experience was presumably a significant factor in his appointment, and West Ham fans were prepared to trust the process.

But the Championship is notoriously unforgiving of clubs that expect their name alone to carry them. Attendances are strong across the division, the fixture list relentless, and sides with far smaller wage bills have consistently made life difficult for relegated clubs who assumed the second tier would simply yield. West Ham's squad cost considerably more to assemble than almost any rival's, yet points are distributed with no regard for transfer fees.

According to a BBC Sport report, fan sentiment has shifted quickly, with some supporters already questioning where the campaign is heading. That is, of course, the nature of fandom two games into a season; but the tone of the criticism suggests the concern runs deeper than the usual early-season anxiety. "Someone put Nuno out of his misery," was one reaction cited in the piece, which is not the kind of commentary that arrives when everything is merely a little rough around the edges.

The table does not lie, but it does not always tell the whole story yet

Two games is a sample size that statisticians would rightly dismiss. Clubs have begun seasons dreadfully and recovered to win promotion; others have started brightly and collapsed entirely. West Ham possess the squad depth and, on paper at least, the individual quality to correct early problems before they become structural ones.

What Nuno will need, and quickly, is a run of results that quietens the outside noise and allows the new signings time to bed in. Engels in particular, arriving at a record fee for this division, will face close scrutiny every week until he justifies the outlay. That is the reality of playing for a club of West Ham's size and profile in the Championship: the spotlight never dims, even if the division is different.

The automatic promotion places remain wide open at this early stage, and the Hammers have the resources to mount a genuine challenge. But the gap between potential and performance needs to close, and it needs to close soon. The Championship does not do patience, and neither, it seems, do West Ham's supporters right now.

Nuno's side face a testing schedule in the coming weeks. How they respond will do far more to define this season than anything that happened in pre-season or in the transfer window.

Frequently asked

Why are West Ham in the Championship?
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season after 14 years in the top flight, and are now competing in the second tier under manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Who has West Ham signed for the Championship season?
West Ham broke the Championship transfer record to sign Arne Engels, and also brought in Manor Solomon, Joel Piroe and Divine Mukasa during the summer window.
How has West Ham's Championship season started?
Poorly by their own expectations. West Ham drew 2-2 at Turf Moor and have taken early criticism from supporters who anticipated a title challenge from Nuno Espirito Santo's side.