BOURNEMOUTH is a long way from Sunderland. But while the distance between the two clubs is considerable, they could not have been more different in terms of desire and mentality.

Think of it not as a small gap, but a yawning chasm. Sunderland have been in the Premier League since 2007, Bournemouth since August. On Saturday’s evidence, you could have easily assumed that the Cherries were the seasoned top-flight performers.

But in Eddie Howe’s starting XI, there were ten players who were Championship regulars last season. Only Sylvain Distin had played Premier League football in the last 12 months. Yet Sunderland were made to look a second-tier side in all departments.

Sunderland’s encouraging performance against Tottenham, with draws against Aston Villa and Swansea City preceding that, felt more like a blip as opposed to a recovery. Saturday’s display at Dean Court, where the Black Cats once again struggled to deal with pace, represented the grim normality.

They are not sleepwalking to relegation. They are careering towards it.

Dick Advocaat has worked hard to improve the quality in the squad and, to his credit, the acquisitions of Yann M’Vila and Jeremain Lens as well as the return of Fabio Borini have made the Black Cats appear a more cohesive attacking force.

There is, presumably, competition for places, yet on Saturday’s showing, there seemed to be little desire for the present incumbents to hold on to their shirts. This, understandably, concerns Advocaat.

“We wanted to win the nice way, and Bournemouth were sharper. It’s not only Bournemouth, there are more teams like that. You have to fight, you have to work,” said the head coach.

“It’s difficult to say because, like I said last Sunday, we were going in the right direction, with the team, with the players, the way we played against a good side.

“But now it’s three steps back.

“Last season we were a totally different team, with different players.

“But then it was easier (to select his best team), because now you have more competition but they need wins, the new players.

“They have to win a game, otherwise other people start moaning and I can understand that as well.

“But on Saturday they did not show me that they want to play. Not just the new ones, but everyone.”

Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie fired Eddie Howe’s Cherries into a lead from which Sunderland – who had Younes Kaboul sent off – never recovered.

With John O’Shea missing out through illness, Sunderland reverted to the back four that started the season with consecutive defeats.

In the first game of the season, the Black Cats were two down after 18 minutes at Leicester. At Dean Court, they racked up the same tally in half the time, with Wilson and Ritchie putting the hosts two up in nine minutes.

While they had steadied the ship with O’Shea in the side, losing the Republic of Ireland international in the run-up to the game proved to be a destabilising factor, with Kaboul and Sebastian Coates struggling to deal with Wilson’s pace and Bournemouth’s constant attacking.

Kaboul in particular looked most uncomfortable with the Cherries striker, allowing him to turn far too easily following Dan Gosling’s pass before drilling a low shot past Costel Pantilimon on four minutes.

Bournemouth doubled their lead five minutes later when Simon Francis’ corner was headed into the path of Ritchie, who chested and volleyed into the top corner.

Sunderland looked shell-shocked and only mustered their first effort at goal on 39 minutes when Jermain Defoe – who spent 2000-1 on loan at Dean Court from West Ham – broke clear of the Cherries backline and scuffed a shot at Artur Boruc’s legs.

Defoe, again playing through the middle with Jeremain Lens and Fabio Borini either side, headed Yann M’Vila’s crossfield ball wide of Boruc’s post moments later.

Jack Rodwell was introduced at half-time by Advocaat, and the former Manchester City man saw a volley on goal deflected wide. And Sunderland had the ball in the net from the resulting corner, when M’Vila’s cross met Lens to head home – only to see the linesman’s flag raised.

Replays showed that Lens was onside – Defoe was off, but not interfering with play.

Borini volleyed just over the crossbar on the hour mark as Sunderland looked a more cohesive attacking unit after the restart.

But Bournemouth’s pace in the attack caught Sunderland out again, Kaboul – already booked – hauled Wilson down on the edge of the area, and Kevin Friend wasted no time in sending the Frenchman off.

The Cherries sought to make the best of their numerical advantage, and hit the crossbar five minutes from time when Marc Pugh fired goalwards.

Sunderland huffed and puffed but did not look likely to break down Bournemouth following Kaboul’s dismissal, which will see the former Tottenham defender miss the Capital One Cup third round fixture against Manchester City this week.

The meek submission prompted Advocaat to apologise to the 1,200 fans who travelled the 350 miles from the North-East to the south coast, many setting off in the early hours of the morning and not returning home until early Sunday morning.

“For the supporters it’s a shame,” said Advocaat. “They paid a lot of money to see this game, so I feel very sorry for them, honestly, and I really mean that.

“But I will do everything that is good for this club because it is a great club, with great friends.

“That’s what I said to them - it’s a shame what we have done today and for that reason I will look in the mirror, myself. I will do. But they have to do it as well. Hopefully they will come up with the answer.”

Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat at home to Watford saw the Magpies move above their North-East rivals on goal difference, with Sunderland failing to pick up a win in their first six games for the fourth season running.

The North-East contingent of the Premier League is in the doldrums, but Advocaat seems surprised that Newcastle find themselves similarly struggling.

“I don’t want to say anything about that, they spent £50 million,” said the Dutchman of Newcastle’s plight. “It’s a little bit different to what we have done.

“But, again, everybody’s talking about the fact we’ve just played six games. We still have 32 but we have to start, and maybe we have to start with a totally different way of (recruiting) players.

“A different type. Let’s say it that way. Because we play in quite an attacking way.”