NafisaSunderland secured a victory over Cardiff City on Saturday, with Eliezer Mayenda once again playing a crucial role in the 2-1 win.
Régis Le Bris praised Mayenda for setting a strong example for his Sunderland teammates, highlighting his impressive goalscoring form. After netting twice against Sheffield Wednesday, Mayenda retained his spot in the lineup and wasted no time making an impact, scoring early to register his seventh goal of the season. In addition to his scoring tally, he has also contributed five assists, an outstanding achievement given his limited starts. Le Bris emphasized that Mayenda’s patience and ability to influence matches off the bench serve as a model for the squad, aligning perfectly with the club’s recruitment strategy.
“He’s doing very well,” Le Bris said.
“I’ve said it before, he’s a good example for all the team. He was on the bench for a long period but kept working, kept trying to be involved with the team and kept trying to improve his levels. Now he’s really impressive.
“Here at Sunderland right now we can’t buy players at that level so we need to build them. He’s playing really well. He seems strong, confident, dominant and it’s good. We need that on the pitch to dominate this last part of the season. If he can inspire others that’s good. Hopefully we can build this level of confidence for other players.”
Since taking charge last summer, Le Bris has been pleased with Mayenda’s development but believes there is still room for improvement, particularly in his finishing in the final third.
“He has improved in many areas because he got minutes and he’s talented,” Le Bris said.
“He wants to work hard and improve. He’s really connected out of possession, he’s very good with back to goal to keep the ball and when he can turn and dribble and push the ball he’s really good. In the last part of the pitch he can improve again because if you are more efficient there you are more impactful.”
Le Bris on Playing Mayenda and Isidor Together
Many Sunderland fans have expressed interest in seeing Mayenda and Wilson Isidor start together up front. However, Le Bris has made it clear that he prefers to introduce this duo later in matches, maintaining the team’s usual 4-3-3 formation.
Ahead of the Cardiff City match, Le Bris suggested that one of the two forwards would likely begin on the bench.
“I think it’s still important to have some consistency,” Le Bris said.
“At the moment, we don’t have the opportunity to waste time, this is not possible. Consistency is key and we have done well so far, so it’s just a case of keeping this consistency and improving. It’s possible to play them together but at the same time, we have 11 games left to play and we have to manage our squad which is quite small. So at the minute, I’m more in the mindset to manage everyone rather than putting everyone on the pitch and it’s important to finish well in this league. It’s sometimes important to refresh the team and this was the case at Sheffield Wednesday.”
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