The opening weeks of the Championship season have already produced some telling storylines, none more striking than the troubled start endured by West Ham United following their relegation from the Premier League. Nuno Espirito Santo's side suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic on Saturday, missing a stoppage-time penalty in the 93rd minute that would have salvaged a point.
The result follows an underwhelming opening-day draw against Burnley, in which West Ham threw away a two-goal lead. Former striker and Final Score pundit Aaron McLean believes the Hammers' problems run deeper than a single missed spot-kick.
"I look at West Ham and think last season they were relegated because they weren't good enough," McLean said. "They have come into the Championship, they almost need to hit rock bottom. I think they were very uninspiring against Burnley in their first game, but really that wasn't a test of what the Championship is going to be about."
He added that Saturday's loss to an established Championship outfit exposed genuine flaws. "I know West Ham missed a penalty to get a point, but if you are West Ham at home in front of 62,000, you shouldn't need a penalty to try to salvage something. There needs to be huge improvements in the mentality and maybe the personnel if West Ham hope to have a good season."
While West Ham falter, Charlton and Millwall have made perfect starts, each collecting six points from their opening two fixtures. Millwall underlined their credentials with a 3-0 thrashing of Norwich City at The Den, a result McLean views as a statement of intent after falling just short of the top six last term.
"I think Millwall are, at this moment, the team to beat," he said. "Last season they just fell short, I think they look solid at the back, they look strong, they look aggressive and they can score goals. I expect them to be very much in the hunt for automatic promotion."
Charlton, under Nathan Jones, have also impressed after a season focused on survival. McLean praised the progress made at The Valley, suggesting the Addicks are now playing with greater ambition. "Last season was about consolidation for Charlton. The job Nathan Jones has done there has been magnificent... this year I think they are looking to go one step further. They are playing slightly more expansively."
Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers ended a lengthy 489-day wait for an away league victory with a 3-1 win at Preston North End, Fer Lopez scoring twice at Deepdale. The result leaves Wolves with four points from two matches, and McLean feels they have adapted to Championship football more smoothly than fellow relegated sides. "I like Wolves. I like the look of them, I like the signings... they seem like they have acclimatised to the Championship better than the likes of West Ham and Burnley."
Further down the pyramid, Leicester City's difficult return to League One continued with a 2-1 home defeat by Burton Albion, played out with ten men for much of the contest. McLean expressed sympathy for manager Russell Martin, who faces the task of resetting expectations at a club unaccustomed to life outside the top two divisions. "It's more psychologically that Russell Martin has to turn things around and get the buy-in from the players," he said.
Finally, Bristol Rovers' revival under Steve Evans continued as they scored five goals in an eight-goal thriller against Newport County to claim their first three points of the season. McLean highlighted the scale of the turnaround since Evans arrived amid a ten-match losing streak. "You have to credit the job Steve Evans has done at Bristol Rovers since he has gone in there, they have done a total 180," he said.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.