West Ham United supporters have wasted absolutely no time making their feelings known after Nuno Espírito Santo’s side threw away a two-goal lead against Burnley in a dramatic Championship opener.

 

For 72 minutes, it looked as though West Ham were going to make the perfect statement on their return to the Championship.

 

Instead, they somehow walked away from Turf Moor with just one point.

 

And for many Hammers supporters, one decision made by Nuno at half-time has become the biggest talking point of the afternoon.

 

The Portuguese boss replaced Pablo Felipe with James Ward-Prowse at the interval, moving Jarrod Bowen into a more central role and changing the shape of a side that had gone into the break leading 1-0.

 

At the time, it looked like a move designed to give West Ham greater control.

 

By full-time, supporters were questioning whether it had taken away one of the things that had made the Hammers so dangerous.

 

WEST HAM LOOKED IN CONTROL

 

West Ham arrived at Turf Moor under enormous pressure to start their Championship campaign strongly.

 

After suffering relegation from the Premier League last season, expectations are sky-high around the London Stadium.

 

Nuno remains in charge and has already been backed to oversee an immediate promotion push, having previously guided Wolves to the Championship title.

 

The Hammers looked every inch a promotion favourite during parts of the first half.

 

Max Kilman opened the scoring after just 10 minutes, heading home from a Jarrod Bowen corner.

 

West Ham controlled possession, moved the ball with greater quality and looked capable of punishing Burnley’s defensive weaknesses.

 

But Burnley were never completely out of the contest.

 

And that would become increasingly important after the interval.

 

According to the Guardian’s live coverage, West Ham had 63 per cent possession at half-time and appeared to have the greater class, while Burnley were dangerous on the counter but lacked precision.

 

Then came Nuno’s first major call.

 

THE DECISION THAT HAS LEFT FANS FUMING

 

Pablo was withdrawn at half-time, with Ward-Prowse coming on.

 

It was a significant tactical change.

 

Ward-Prowse offered experience and set-piece quality, while Bowen moved inside to operate closer to Castellanos.

 

On paper, it made sense.

 

But supporters watching the second half saw something very different.

 

Burnley began to gain momentum.

 

The hosts repeatedly attacked down the flanks, delivered dangerous crosses and started finding Zian Flemming inside the penalty area.

 

West Ham were being pushed backwards.

 

And yet the Hammers still managed to find a second goal.

 

Manor Solomon doubled their advantage in the 72nd minute after Mohamadou Kanté produced an excellent piece of work on the right before squeezing a cross into the box.

 

Solomon finished emphatically.

 

2-0.

 

Surely that was game over?

 

Apparently not.

 

THEN EVERYTHING COLLAPSED

 

Burnley refused to go away.

 

Just minutes after West Ham had doubled their advantage, the hosts continued throwing bodies forward.

 

Flemming had already threatened several times and eventually got his reward.

 

In the 83rd minute, Ollie Scarles brought down Marcus Edwards inside the box.

 

Penalty.

 

Flemming stepped up and sent Mads Hermansen the wrong way.

 

Burnley 1-2 West Ham.

 

Suddenly, Turf Moor was rocking.

 

And West Ham were wobbling.

 

Nuno then waited until the 87th minute to make another change, bringing El Hadji Malick Diouf on for Scarles.

 

Three minutes later, with Burnley still piling forward, he replaced the excellent Solomon with Joel Veltman.

 

But by then, the momentum had completely shifted.

 

Deep into stoppage time, Burnley won a corner.

 

The ball broke loose inside the area.

 

And there was Flemming again.

 

The Dutchman smashed the ball into the net to complete a stunning late comeback.

 

2-2.

 

West Ham had thrown away victory.

 

“TAKING PABLO OFF WAS A MISTAKE”

 

West Ham supporters on social media were quick to focus on Nuno’s decision to remove Pablo.

 

One fan argued that the change was a major reason West Ham lost their attacking threat, claiming the team looked “completely toothless” without Pablo’s pressing.

 

Another supporter simply wrote:

 

«”Taking Pablo off was a mistake.”»

 

That sentiment was echoed repeatedly across the post-match discussion among Hammers supporters.

 

Others were even more critical of Nuno’s game management.

 

One fan described the substitutions as “poor subs”, while another said the manager’s decision-making was once again costing West Ham points.

 

There was also a familiar feeling among supporters: West Ham had once again surrendered a winning position.

 

One post-match reaction summed up the frustration perfectly:

 

«”New league, same old West Ham.”»

 

Another supporter pointed directly at the manager’s game management, arguing that West Ham had once again sat back after taking control.

 

The frustration is understandable.

 

The Hammers dropped 20 points from winning positions last season, according to the Guardian’s match report, making Sunday’s collapse feel painfully familiar.

 

BUT NUNO DIDN’T HAVE MANY OPTIONS

 

There is, however, another side to the argument.

 

West Ham’s bench was extremely thin.

 

Supporters themselves acknowledged that Nuno did not exactly have an embarrassment of attacking riches available to him.

 

One fan pointed out that the squad desperately needs depth and argued that the club’s recruitment situation had left the manager with limited options.

 

That is an important factor.

 

Nuno could not simply turn to a bench packed with proven Championship match-winners.

 

And the Hammers are clearly still rebuilding following relegation.

 

Manor Solomon has only just arrived, while the club continues to reshape the squad ahead of the long Championship campaign.

 

Solomon’s arrival was one of the bright spots, with the new signing scoring the second goal and showing why West Ham were so keen to bring him in.

 

THE BIGGER PROBLEM FOR NUNO

 

The Pablo substitution is now the obvious target for criticism, but the bigger concern is what happened afterwards.

 

West Ham did not simply concede one unlucky goal.

 

They allowed Burnley to build pressure for a sustained period.

 

The hosts had already been threatening before the penalty, with Flemming hitting the post and forcing Hermansen into work.

 

The Guardian’s report noted that West Ham became increasingly passive despite having periods of control and superior possession.

 

That will concern Nuno.

 

Because if West Ham want to win the Championship, they cannot repeatedly allow opponents back into matches after establishing commanding positions.

 

And the manager will know that better than anyone.

 

WEST HAM FANS HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE

 

Perhaps that is why the reaction has been so explosive.

 

Supporters are not simply angry about dropping two points at Burnley.

 

They are angry because the collapse felt familiar.

 

Last season, West Ham repeatedly struggled to protect leads and ultimately paid the ultimate price by being relegated.

 

Now, on the opening weekend of their Championship campaign, the same issue has immediately resurfaced.

 

That is bound to raise questions.

 

Nuno was retained after relegation and given the responsibility of leading the club straight back to the Premier League. The club confirmed in May that both manager and board remained committed to the challenge ahead.

 

But promotion campaigns are unforgiving.

 

There will be dozens of moments when West Ham have to protect a lead, manage pressure and close games out.

 

Sunday’s collapse will therefore feel like more than just two points dropped.

 

It will feel like a warning.

 

THE POSITIVE? THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME

 

Despite the drama, West Ham are not suddenly facing a crisis.

 

It is one game.

 

And there were plenty of positives.

 

Kilman scored.

 

Solomon made an immediate impact.

 

Kanté impressed.

 

West Ham showed periods of excellent football.

 

And they walked away from one of the toughest away fixtures they are likely to face with a point.

 

One supporter even argued that, before kick-off, they would have accepted a draw away to a team expected to challenge near the top of the Championship.

 

That is the more measured view.

 

But football is rarely about what supporters would have accepted before the game.

 

It is about what actually happened.

 

And when you are 2-0 up with less than 20 minutes remaining, a draw feels like a defeat.

 

NUNO NOW HAS A HUGE QUESTION TO ANSWER

 

The West Ham boss will inevitably face questions over his decision-making.

 

Was taking Pablo off at half-time the right call?

 

Did West Ham become too conservative?

 

Should more attacking substitutions have been made earlier?

 

And why did the team allow Burnley to build so much pressure after going 2-0 ahead?

 

Those are the questions supporters will be asking.

 

Nuno has already experienced the full force of West Ham’s expectations.

 

He knows exactly what is required.

 

The good news is that this Championship season is a marathon rather than a sprint.

 

The bad news?

 

West Ham have already dropped two points from a winning position.

 

And if the Hammers repeat that mistake too often, they could find themselves fighting for promotion in exactly the same way they fought for survival last season.

 

For now, the message from the supporters is brutally clear:

 

New league. New season. Same old problem.

 

And Nuno Espírito Santo has work to do.