Anthony Gair says…
Bryan Brobbey. He’s not here to just make up the numbers on the bench — he’s here to fire us up the league.
I’m completely aware of how good Eliezer Mayenda, Chemsdine Talbi, Wilson Isidor, Simon Adingra and Enzo Le Fée are, but we can’t play them all and we have to fit Brobbey in somewhere, so I fully expect Régis Le Bris to trust the big man up top —and I also fully expect him to perform as good as his counterpart Jean-Philippe Mateta, who’s mint, and a real problem for us.
Everyone else can do a job,
but we’ve paid a lot of money for an out-and-out striker, so what’s the point in doing that if we’re not going to trust him? Brobbey for me!
Ben McKevitt says…
I think it would be cruel on whoever’s benched out of Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor. Having been entrusted with leading the line for the first time in the Premier League, Mayenda made an instant impact and has gone just two games without scoring, but Isidor hasn’t made the decision easy for Régis Le Bris.
I see Isidor as an elite bench option, but at what point should impressive substitute appearances be rewarded? It may be forgotten how influential his double-digit goal return was for the club last season, given how strongly Mayenda finished the season.
Further adding to the dilemma is Mayenda’s general anonymity during an admittedly small sample size in the Premier League. We know he has a strong mindset, and so I don’t think we’re risking much by giving somebody a start over him at this point.
I would be leaning towards bringing Isidor in from the start. I think he’s earned it with his patience, attitude and performances, and it’s also worth remembering how impactful Mayenda could prove to be against tired legs — something we haven’t seen so far this season.
While Isidor would be my immediate preference, Bryan Brobbey’s shadow looms large — both physically and metaphorically — and I see him as our main man in the long term, given the fee paid and his proven track record.
It’s exciting that we have three promising options and it’s only going to benefit us in the long term, and the fact we’re considering dropping Mayenda after just two barren games is proof of that!
John Wilson says…
One of the biggest challenges facing Régis Le Bris was how to knit together this new squad, to keep everyone happy and challenging for a place on the team without having their noses put out of joint.
So far, he’s obviously doing everything right. With that in mind, I can’t see him dropping Eliezer Mayenda, as that would signal perhaps that he’d lost confidence on him, or that he’d done something wrong
Of course, we don’t know what goes on on the training pitch, and whatever the starting line up is at Palace, I’ll be happy, but I think he’ll start with Mayenda. I also think it’s nailed on that Wilson Isidor will be brought on after sixty or seventy minutes — either to replace Mayenda up top or on the left.
This also depends on the scoreline and what’s happening on the pitch. I think we’ve seen Le Bris become much more proactive in bringing on ‘replacements’ or ‘finishers’ this season, as he has so much more trust in the bench and quality to choose from, and if Bryan Brobbey is fit and ready to play, he may well be given fifteen minutes or so at the end.
The coach has a lot of plates to spin now, so maybe we’ll see him spinning them! It’ll certainly keep everyone guessing and predicting over the coming weeks, as we have so many permutations. But whatever he does, he’ll be conscious of the individual characters and how best to challenge them or keep them content.
Time will tell, but if we’re guessing, I’d say he starts with Mayenda, with Isidor coming on and perhaps Brobbey later.
Lee Morrison says…
Dropping a striker can be associated with a lack of confidence and this isn’t what we need, having had such a strong start. Although he was quieter against Brentford, Eliezer Mayenda took his chance brilliantly against West Ham and has proven that he has the stamina to start and provide a real challenge to defenders.
Wilson Isidor, on the other hand, has been utilised at the perfect time, when legs are starting to get weary and when space opens up.
Confidence will still be high following the superb showing against Brentford, and I’d keep things as they are. That way, we have different options available, depending upon how the game itself goes. It also gives Bryan Brobbey another week to help gel with the rest of the squad.
Either way, it’s a privileged position to be in, and it shows that we have real strength in depth.
Nic Wiseman says…
We’ve scored five goals in three games in the Premier League and it could’ve been more if chances, particularly against Burnley, were taken.
Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor have done well so far and I’d stick with Mayenda to start and bring Isidor on as a second half sub, as both strikers can come up with the unexpected and we always go the distance.
I think the Palace game will be a true test but they’ve only won one game this season and that was away at Villa. Selhurst Park can be raucous, but silence that crowd and we have a good chance to chalk up our first away win of the season.
