IF Sunderland thought their weaknesses had been exposed by the Netflix cameras, they hadn’t seen anything yet.

Dismantled, embarrassed, and wholly bettered by a rampant Wanderers, the biggest margin of victory seen at this stadium could have been even wider. Not a soul on Wearside could have complained.

Ian Evatt had proclaimed the Black Cats the ‘best footballing team in the league’ before kick-off, seemingly transferring a curse which had lingered since he made similar comments about his own side back in October.

Back then, the Whites were playing some great football – but, in truth, it was nothing as stunning as this.

Sunderland were second in the table and – this humiliation aside – will surely be up there when the honours are dished out at the end of the season. Yet this exhilarating 90 minutes makes you wonder just how much of the 19-point gap Bolton can now claw back between now and May?

Evatt arrived in the press room with hammer in hand, metaphorically nailing feet to the floor, demanding that focus and momentum is not lost ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Cambridge United. The young manager has been tripped up by his own bravado before and seemed intent on keeping a lid on the excitement bubbling around the stadium, even among the grizzled members of the local press.

This result, argued the Bolton boss, was for a group of fans who had been hauled through the emotional mill since that depressing day against Wigan Athletic, watching their understrength team limp through the winter to the January window where, mercifully, they have now been given a new lease of life.

Evatt is kidding himself, though, if he thinks we believe he didn’t flick through the highlights on Saturday evening with a beaming smile like the rest of us.

Sunderland’s inner workings had been famously broadcast to the world in documentary form, showing the intense passion that exists in that part of the world for their football, but also some of the bizarre decisions that led to their current lull. One can only hope a new series is not currently in production.

More than 5,000 away fans had packed into the South Stand in what was a glorious pre-game spectacle for a fixture that truly deserves to be played at the highest level, as it was just a decade ago.

By the end, only a few hardly souls had stayed to vent their anger at Lee Johnston, who timidly stepped towards them at the final whistle to intonate his apology.

Three sides remained packed, cheering every player and member of staff after the biggest margin of victory this stadium had ever seen.

There have been some quite wonderful moments since Wanderers waved goodbye to Burnden nearly 25 years ago – Wilbraham’s header, Jay-Jay’s free kick, Big Sam’s dance, Muamba’s return – but has there ever been a more complete 90-minute performance? Answers on a postcard if there has.

Once Wanderers had got to grips with the windy weather, and direction had gone out from the dugout to James Trafford to aim his kicking through the middle, rather than out to the wings, Sunderland simply had no answers.

Evatt is a self-confessed ‘football snob’ and there have been times this season when his team has buckled under the weight of the extra pass, the responsibility to protect possession. Here, the Whites produced a perfect blend, going direct towards two strikers having the time of their life in Dapo Afolayan and Dion Charles, and then playing through them with frightening technical incision in the very next attack.

Goal one was simplicity itself. Trafford’s long punt caught on the wind, leaving Thorben Hoffmann exposed, and Charles bravely nipped in to loft his shot into the empty net.

Kieran Lee should have doubled the lead a few moments later, flicking a shot over the bar from close range after Marlon Fossey had launched his first raid down the right. And though Sunderland made vague attempts to get back into the game, only one side was in control.

Afolayan supplied the second with a move he started by winning possession on the edge of his own box, moving the ball out wide to Charles and then sprinting 60 yards to place a low shot into the bottom corner, via Lee’s awkward flick.

If any questions had been asked of the ‘Starman’ during Bolton’s difficult spell, he has answered them in full. And after hitting the back of the net he displayed a T-shirt message of support to the family of Isla Caton, the brave seven-year-old West Ham fan who sadly lost her fight with cancer last week. A class touch indeed.

It was reasoned at half time that Sunderland would produce a response, that Bolton’s lead would surely be tested. Their refusal to change personnel at half time was peculiar indeed, and fully punished within a few minutes of the restart as MJ Williams played a clever ball to Gethin Jones on the right flank, his deep cross headed back by Afolayan and drilled home by Charles.

Three became four as Wanderers continued to toy with their opponents. Aaron Morley and Afolayan made a mockery of the marking on the edge of the box to present a chance gleefully swept into the net by Lee.

Danny Batth headed the fifth into his own net, via sub Amadou Bakayoko’s cross.

Evatt had made a triple change, bringing on Kieran Sadlier for his debut and giving more time to Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, and pleasingly there was no let up at all.

As fans raced to take pictures of the scoreboard, they had to start all over again. Declan John – ignored completely in a loan spell with the Black Cats a couple of seasons ago – volleyed in a wonderful sixth goal of the day.

This was the biggest margin of victory in a league game for the Whites since they hammered seven past Swindon Town as a First Division side in 1997. Back then, the day was all-too-much for radio commentator Stuart Mac, who had to go off-air after breaking down in tears.

Sunderland’s media managed to keep their cheeks dry, although Sunday and Monday’s papers are unlikely to be forgiving. This was way below the standard expected of such a grand old club.

Nothing should be taken away from Bolton, however, a team with equal tradition and ambition.

And right now, anything seems possible.