Sunderland kick start life under new boss Regis Le Bris this weekend.
Sunderland travel to Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon as they get underway in the new Championship campaign.
Regis Le Bris was appointed Sunderland manager this summer following a rather painstaking search process for the club’s hierarchy.
Both owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman came under scrutiny for their delay in appointing a new manager.
And since, Speakman has remained in the spotlight for yet another summer transfer window in which Sunderland have struggled to sign a striker.
Although there’s still time for Speakman to bring a new no.9 to the Stadium of Light, time is rapidly running out.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, Le Bris discussed Sunderland’s striking options, revealing that he’s content with his current options and suggesting that Eliezer Mayenda will start vs Cardiff.
Mayenda featured just eight times in the Championship last season. But the Spaniard has featured heavily in preseason, largely due to the lack of options, but showing promise nonetheless.
Regis Le Bris’ message to Kristjaan Speakman at Sunderland is clear
Le Bris once again came across as being cool and collected in his Sunderland presser.
He was asked a tough question about he striker search and his frustrations towards it.
Le Bris insisted that he’s happy with his current options. But he later added that there’s still time in the transfer market and that having a new striker in now would’ve been preferable.
Le Bris said: “It’s not just a question of finding someone, it’s about the right player for our team with this style of play and this responsibility.
“It’s difficult, a long process. We have three weeks ahead. It could be better if he was available now but it’s not the case so we work without.”
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Regis Le Bris wants a new striker at Sunderland, Speakman has to hurry up
Fans, Speakman, and surely Le Bris all understand the fact that Sunderland have lacked a prolific striker for a long time now, and that one is certainly needed.
And whilst Le Bris has remained coy on the situation, his latter comments about the window and the wish to have had a striker in by now suggests that Le Bris definitely does want a striker.
It’s simply down to Speakman to deliver in the transfer market.
There’s been some good free agents snapped up already. And there’s of course the possibility of Premier League loans later in the window, though Sunderland can’t rely on that, and both Le Bris and Speakman will surely want a permanent player who they can work with long-term.
Le Bris will make do for the time being. But not signing a new striker, and one who can score goals and compliment the style of play, like Le Bris has suggested, could really make or break Sunderland’s season, and Le Bris may know it.