Sunderland will be looking to bounce back after defeat to Stoke City at the weekend, and Regis Le Bris looks set to rely on one player who’s struggled of late.
An injury-time Tom Cannon goal was all that separated Sunderland and Stoke on Sunday afternoon, with Regis Le Bris’ men unable to keep their good form going at the Bet365 Stadium.
The Black Cats are still in fourth place in the Championship, but have now lost serious ground in the hunt for the title this season.
Fans largely blamed Eliezer Mayenda’s spurned chance for the dropping of points at the weekend, but they may have to see him play once more on New Year’s Day.
Eliezer Mayenda should be dropped, but Le Bris has no alternative
After a wasteful and frustrating outing against Stoke, it would appear clear that Eliezer Mayenda should be dropped by Regis Le Bris.
Nothing worked for the youngster there, with his dribbling only leading to a turnover of possession every time, and that glaring miss making him the scapegoat on the day.
However, with Chris Rigg injured, and Tommy Watson and Romaine Mundle still on the sidelines, Le Bris has very little choice but to keep faith with Mayenda.
In an ideal world, Patrick Roberts would start on the right wing, with the resurgent Adil Aouchiche taking up the left wing spot.
But, with Milan Aleksic looking out-of-sorts in the playmaker role, Aouchiche will surely have to move into the middle, leaving Roberts and Mayenda on the wings.
Keeping faith in Mayenda could work out for the best
While it would seem obvious that Eliezer Mayenda would be out of the Sunderland starting lineup versus Sheffield United, it could actually end up being a great decision to keep him in.
Sunderland fans want Mayenda dropped, there is no doubt about that. But, they would surely love to see the youngster come good once more, and Le Bris standing by the player could boost his confidence at the key moment.
| Statistics | Eliezer Mayenda (2024/25) |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 16 |
| Minutes played | 1,027 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Shot-creating actions per 90 | 2.28 |
It’s not like Mayenda has been a weak link all season. Far from it, in fact, as the Spaniard has actually been really impressive at times, and he’s clearly just hitting a tough patch of form is all.
The only way to get out of that is to play through it and try to find a spark of positivity somewhere. A big performance against promotion rivals Sheffield United could be just the remedy for Mayenda’s poor form, setting him up for a successful second half of the season.