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The Championship kicked off this weekend with West Ham’s first foray into the second division in fourteen years. Nuno named a brave starting eleven in view of the lack of experience within his midfield: Edson Alvarez being held back pending negotiations to sell meant academy graduates Mohamadou Kanté and Lewis Orford were his chosen pairing. The duo looked mostly solid for the first half, Kanté taking a yellow card for the team to hold back a Burnley break as the home side were reduced to counter attacking football in a largely quiet stadium. After West Ham’s first goal their possession stats were up to 66% – the rare Hammers wobbles in the first half were largely of their own making after losing possession with their full backs pushed high up the pitch. For a first-time outing together, the pair performed creditably and were the major positive from a game that the Hammers should have won comfortably. Kante’s brilliant assist for Solomon’s debut goal makes it two in two weeks for the young midfielder who looks very much at home at this level. West Ham’s pivotal moment came at half time, after a comfortable first ’45, when hardworking Pablo (who’d at least pressed and kept his opponents on the back foot) was substituted for James Ward Prowse, oddly turning up as a right sided midfielder and Bowen playing up front. Mistake by Nuno. West Ham lost momentum with hardly a shot coming in the second half. No changes as the Irons were battered with Nuno’s change simply inviting their hitherto weak opponents onto them. Don’t blame Scarles for ‘that’ challenge, youngsters will all make mistakes, that’s how they get better. Diving in to concede a penalty was a big un-necesary error but hopefully he will learn. The dropped points are on Nuno for a bad tactical change at half time and a failure to react as warning after warning of impending danger came and went unanswered. However, one look at the bench tells me West Ham need reinforcements. The squad simply is not good enough -but neither are those two centre backs who were back to the bad old days of their Mavropanic and Kilman nervy, fail to close down, fail-to-get-in-a-challenge worst. Somebody have a word with Axel Disasi’s agent. And fast.