IT seems that Peter Reid's immediate legacy to Sunderland is a squad literally not fit to grace the Premiership.

Howard Wilkinson may have run his new charges ragged in his first full week in command at the Stadium of Light.

But even the type of punishing training schedule that was the stuff of legend in Wilkinson's title-winning time at Leeds, couldn't sort out Reid's slouchers.

It is curious that this should be the case when the trademark of Reid's teams was once their workrate and commitment.

Yet, if anyone can knock them into shape, it is surely 'Sergeant Wilko', a manager who prepares his sides with military precision.

Sunderland's players were allowed two days off after launching Wilkinson's reign with an awful performance and a defeat which plunged them into the Premiership relegation zone.

But their noses will be firmly pressed to the grindstone from Tuesday until a week on Monday when they visit fellow strugglers Bolton.

Former FA technical director Wilkinson is back in club management for the first time since he was sacked by Leeds six years ago.

And the fundamental changes he detects in the game concern concentration, pace and the need to be in tip-top physical condition.

"The game has become quicker and players have to become fitter, brighter,'' said Wilkinson.

"If you looked at the first half of this game, you would say we didn't look fit.

"But that was a consequence of other factors. For 25 minutes of the second half, we looked a sight fitter.

"That was because, at half-time, we picked up on the business of urgency and concentration. If you lose the ball, start defending, if you get the ball, start attacking.

"But we have to maintain and improve fitness and get things right on the pitch.''

Wilkinson had made his mind up well before Saturday's game, against a West Ham side who started the afternoon in bottom spot, that striker Tore Andre Flo - at £8.2m the most expensive player in Sunderland's history - wasn't even worthy of a seat on the bench.

The ethereal Norwegian has managed only three goals since his record-breaking arrival from Rangers - two of them at Third Division Cambridge in a 7-0 Worthington Cup romp.

But Wilkinson's decision to axe Flo was based on the simple fact that his fitness level was deemed sub-standard.

Wilkinson started with England Under-21 prospect Matt Piper, but the winger, Reid's second priciest summer recruit at £3.5m, was hauled off at half-time and replaced by French teenager David Bellion.

Ex-England caretaker manager and Under-21 coach Wilkinson explained: "I had ten minutes with Matthew after the game. He has to go home and think about it because I think he has paid for a taste of international football.

"He's been away a long time, not played, maybe not worked as hard as he would have done here, and probably eaten too much and sat around too much.

"After 20 minutes, I thought he had been second to everything. If he wants a long international career, he can't let international involvement affect his club performances. If he does, he won't have a very long international career.''

It was Piper who looked to be bundled over in the build-up to the Hammers' goal in the 22nd minute, but referee Graham Barber, whose woeful performance was such that he would have been better employed giving someone a short-back-and-sides, waved play on.

The Hammers turned defence into attack, with the mercurial Paolo di Canio releasing a superb cross-field ball which dropped over the head of Sunderland skipper Michael Gray and into the path of Trevor Sinclair.

Reid once coveted the England winger, and it was easy to see why as Sinclair broke clear of Gray to crash a ferocious drive in off the underside of the bar.

By then, Sunderland - playing as badly as they have all season - had failed to register a single shot on goal.

And when one finally arrived ten minutes after West Ham had struck, it was a miscued effort from centre-back Jody Craddock on the end of a Claudio Reyna corner.

Jurgen Macho, Sunderland's third-choice goalkeeper and called up because of injuries to Thomas Sorensen and Thomas Myhre, acquitted himself well and kept his side in the game with a fine save from Joe Cole ten minutes before the break.

Bellion's interval introduction brought with it the pace and penetration lacking in an opening period which Wilkinson described as "wasted'' from Sunderland's point of view.

With Bellion as a foil, striker Kevin Phillips - in his first game following a six-week recovery from hernia surgery - soon came alive, forcing a save from keeper David James.

Then, a belting shot from Bellion was too hot for James and Phillips touched the loose ball in, only to turn and see an offside flag raised against him.

Macho made further laudable stops from Sinclair and di Canio before Sunderland player-coach Niall Quinn, brought on in place of the ineffectual Marcus Stewart, was unlucky to see his astute lob come back off James' left-hand post.

Bellion unleashed another piledriver which dipped just over, but that was as much as Sunderland could muster.

The damage was done in a first half that Wilkinson likened to an American soap opera - "a break every two minutes'' - but in the end it was West Ham, of course, blowing the bubbles.

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