Perhaps it is a good job Paul Gascoigne and Glenn Roeder, friends and confidants for the best part of 20 years, had decided against a Saturday night reunion after all. Given the way their day had gone, one suspects the food would have been burned, Gazza's orange juice would have been spiked and their car would have broken down on the way home.

It is difficult to know who felt the more dejected: the 34-year-old alcoholic who had left the field in tears with his career under scrutiny yet again, or the rookie Premiership manager whose side had gift-wrapped Everton their most emphatic victory since they beat Sunderland 5-0 at home on St Stephen's Day, in 1999.

"Hysterical" was how one Everton official described Gascoigne and, if that might seem an outlandish reaction, it is worth remembering the special circumstances that make this self-destructive multi-millionaire one of the most vulnerable sportsmen in the public eye.

Football, remember, is Gascoigne's release, and without it he has turned to drink.

Now, after damaging his knee five minutes into his first league start at Goodison in 11 months, he is facing another period without his daily fix. The initial diagnosis was strained ligaments, but the harsh reality about Gascoigne is that injuries that should keep him out for three weeks have a habit of sidelining him much longer.

Roeder has problems of a different kind. Everton are not a team that win 5-0, but West Ham were so awful it could hardly be said the score flattered Walter Smith's side.

Considering the number of times they exposed West Ham's erratic defence, the damage could have been even greater.

Today Roeder will go through what he described as "the video nasty" with his players. First and foremost he will want to know why they offered such meek resistance once Kevin Campbell had opened the scoring just before half-time.

Don Hutchison, with his only notable contribution, put through his own net, Thomas Gravesen ran unchallenged from his own half to make it 3-0 and, seeing how easy it was, Steve Watson drifted upfield to make it four.

EVERTON: Gerrard, Xavier, Weir, Pistone, Watson, Alexandersson, Gascoigne (Pembridge 8), Gravesen, Naysmith, Radzinski (Moore 82), Campbell, Pembridge (Hibbert 82). Subs Not Used: Stubbs, Simonsen. Goals: Campbell 45, Hutchison 52 og, Gravesen 56, Watson 75, Radzinski 79.

WEST HAM: Hislop, Winterburn (Soma 63), Dailly, Song, Schemmel, Courtois (Byrne 77), Carrick, Hutchison, Sinclair, Kanoute (Kitson 80), Di Canio. Subs Not Used: Foxe, Forrest.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).