WATCHING football should be fun; an opportunity to escape from the horrors and worries of everyday life in this dangerous world.

Following Sunderland, however, has become akin to seeing a loved one die a slow, agonising death in front of your very eyes.

Powerless to help, you can only look on with increasing pain as - over the weeks and months - life slowly drains from your relative or friend.

The last rites have been conducted over Sunderland's Premiership existence since the end of January, when they lost at home to Southampton and Charlton Athletic.

Against Charlton, of course, they committed footballing suicide. Since that catastrophe, their opponents have been only too glad to deliver the killer blow.

Only a masochist would derive any pleasure from supporting Sunderland these days, so hapless and indeed hopeless have their efforts become.

To put it as succinctly as possible, Sunderland can't attack and they can't defend.

Which doesn't leave you with very much to go on, does it?

Certainly, Mick McCarthy was disinclined to pun Sunderland's shambolic display at Upton Park.

What positives could you take from that performance, Mick? "None," was the reply.

Sunderland made West Ham United - in the relegation zone for four months before Saturday - look a fine side.

A Hammers defence that has shipped 53 Premiership goals this season can scarcely have had as easy an afternoon since...well October 19, when they won 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Of course, the absence of Claudio Reyna, Gavin McCann and Jason McAteer is a major handicap as McCarthy tries to field a competitive team.

It left him with a midfield on Saturday of Thomas Butler, Sean Thornton, Kevin Kilbane and Michael Gray.

Sunderland have fallen so far, so quickly, and it is the speed of the club's decline that has shocked Kevin Phillips.

He said: "I never thought it would come to this and that's why I'm so disappointed; the players like me, Michael Gray and Thomas Sorensen feel so bad.

"I remember going to West Ham in the first season we were in the Premiership. We were 1-0 up with a minute left, and if we had won we would have gone top of the League.

"Unfortunately, we drew 1-1, but we were still second and I felt then we would never be in the position we are in now.

"It's frustrating. I see Sunderland as a big club and we proved that with the supporters we had at the game.

"I've known such great times at the club, but Howard Wilkinson said when he left the club that nothing surprised him in football, and the same goes for me."

McCarthy has told his players not to be afraid of trying to pass their way through opponents.

Sunderland did attempt to do that, but they are plainly not good enough to carry out their manager's instructions.

Indeed, McCarthy said: "When you're bottom of the League and you concede a goal, it makes life difficult.

"They're professional footballers, but we've seen it happen at other clubs; it's not just us.

"It's hard to express yourself when you're getting beat. It's hard to stick your chest out, get your chin up and be the best player on the park."

Nevertheless, West Ham manager Glenn Roeder spoke of his admiration for Sunderland for resisting the urge to play the long ball game.

He said: "I was pleased to see that, allowing for the situation Sunderland are in, they wanted to keep passing the ball.

"They didn't resort to the route one tactic, which in my opinion is ugly football; they still wanted to play, and they will do that under Mick McCarthy."

West Ham took the lead after 24 minutes when David James's deep free-kick was helped on by Les Ferdinand, and Jermain Defoe - who had escaped the attention of Talal El Karkouri - turned smartly and fired home.

"A long ball down the middle and a flick shouldn't really end up in the back of our net," McCarthy said.

The decisive second goal, from Frederic Kanoute in the 66th minute, came after Thornton had seen a simple short pass intercepted by Michael Carrick on the halfway line.

"One square pass ended up in the back of our net. We shouldn't concede goals like that," the Sunderland manager added.

Tore Andre Flo saw one header loop over, while James comfortably held a 25-yard drive from the returning Thomas Butler.

And that was that, to be honest. Sunderland were never in the game, and they could have lost by twice as many as West Ham turned on the style.

Defoe could have had a hat-trick, and the visitors were praying for the final whistle long before referee Rob Styles put them out of their misery.

Oh well, at least there's a blank weekend to look forward to. And who are Sunderland's next opponents?

Chelsea. Oh dear.

Read more about Sunderland here.