SUNDERLAND boss Peter Reid, facing renewed calls to go from disenchanted fans, pulled no punches as he slammed his side's split personality and lack of discipline in a dismal display at the Stadium of Light.

Reid's men were hopelessly devoid of shape and pattern after falling behind in the first half to a Fulham side who ultimately won too easily.

And the manager's decision to withdraw winger Thomas Butler in favour of striker Niall Quinn in a double substitution after the visitors had increased their lead early in the second period, only served to compound the Wearsiders' problems.

Thereafter, Sunderland looked lop-sided without a wide man on the left and the home fans' desperation was summed up when they resorted to cries of "Julio, Julio'' - Argentinian schemer Julio Arca wasn't even on the bench.

Reid now faces arguably his biggest test in his seven-and-a-half years in charge as he prepares his side for Saturday's titantic Tyne-Wear duel at St. James' Park.

It will be Sunderland's second away derby inside a fortnight following their 3-0 thumping at Middlesbrough last Tuesday.

Saturday's defeat carried echoes of the Riverside humiliation as Fulham twice waltzed through the Sunderland defence with an ease reminiscent of the way Szilard Nemeth raced clear to score Boro's third goal, and goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen committed another costly blunder.

In an honest assessment of his side's failings against Fulham, Reid admitted: "We were ragged and undisciplined. The players were trying, but we were just all over the place.

"We lost our shape. For the second game on the trot, we were too easy to get through.

"We started all right and had a couple of chances, but didn't take them.

"They scored and then there was anxiety and a lack of confidence in our play. The team before they scored the first goal and the team after that, were like two different teams. We weren't a side, we lost everything.

"There's concern at the way we lost a lot of discipline and confidence. If you look at the third goal we conceded against Middlesbrough and a couple of the goals here, we were attacking and then it was in the back of our net in four or five seconds. That's a big concern.''

Reid insisted: "There's only one way to sort it out and that's on the training ground.

"There's no magic wand. There are some really good players here and we have to get them on the training ground and get their confidence up, because we have a massive game this weekend. If we win, it paints a different picture.

"We have to go back to basics and that means being hard to beat. We had that when we won at Leeds and drew here with Manchester United, and at Blackburn on the opening day.

"But we haven't had that in the last couple of games.''

The story might have been different on Saturday had Fulham goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar not performed a superb one-handed stop from Matt Piper's powerful 29th-minute header and then saved Tore Andre Flo's nodded follow-up.

Fellow new boy Marcus Stewart, making his home debut, was also denied by the joint efforts of van der Sar and left-back Rufus Brevett.

But in Japanese World Cup star Junichi Inamoto, Fulham possessed the man of the match.

Inamoto made two goals after opening the scoring himself in the 34th minute with his second in the Premiership.

Brevett swept the ball in from the left, Barry Hayles headed on and Inamoto brought it under control before beating Sorensen with an angled strike.

The Denmark keeper then handed Fulham their second goal on a plate nine minutes after the interval when he cleared the ball straight to Inamoto, who returned the compliment to Hayles as he immediately released the striker.

Hayles then held off Sunderland right-back Stephen Wright to stroke the ball beyond Sorensen.

Midfielder Jason McAteer, who had lashed high and wide from a good shooting position three minutes before the break, was nevertheless shaking his head when he was replaced by the fit-again Gavin McCann two minutes after Hayles' goal.

Sorensen was booed when he next kicked the ball upfield and skipper Michael Gray was also jeered as the mood among the home fans started to turn ugly.

The third goal in the 78th minute prompted chants of "Reid out''. Steve Marlet chased Inamoto's through-ball to finish left-footed.

Sorensen had to turn the ball over from substitute John Collins' fierce strike ten minutes later to prevent a fourth and shortly afterwards a lone fan made his way down to the side of the dug-out to berate Reid and point an accusing finger, before being ordered to leave by stewards.

Reid said: "It's not nice but I've had it before and I can understand them. We're not giving them anything. From being a fortress, we're being beaten here and we're not scoring goals.

"Believe it or not, I thought the fans were all right this time.

"But if they want to have a go at someone, they have a go at the manager because he's the main man and he takes the rap.''

And the pressure on Reid will surely reach new levels of intensity if he loses his four-match unbeaten record on Tyneside as Sunderland boss in the mother of all North-East derbies this weekend.