It feels like a game from a different age.
August sunshine, a buoyant Stadium of Light, an utterly confident and dominant Sunderland display and a spectacular opening-day win, and when the Lads kicked off their 2025/2026 season against West Ham, it was two players who now find themselves cast in very different roles that took centre stage.
On that day, a powerful header from Eliezer Mayenda and a smart finish from Wilson Isidor gave us a one and then three-goal advantage either side of an equally emphatic
header from Dan Ballard, and at the time, it felt as though the young Spaniard and the mercurial Frenchman were well set to duke it out for the responsibility of being our main man upfront.
However, this predated the arrival and incredible impact made by Brian Brobbey, and now the dynamic has shifted, with the Dutchman firmly established as Régis Le Bris’ preferred option up top, Mayenda and Isidor currently on the fringes and Sunday’s awfully stodgy FA Cup clash with Oxford hardly representing the ideal stage on which to showcase their ability.
To some, this may be damning and conclusive; to others, somewhat strange, but when you have three forwards of such considerable ability, something has to give somewhere along the line and Brobbey’s skillset is simply too vital to the way we currently play to ignore.
Despite repeated rumours linking Isidor and Mayenda with moves away from Wearside as well as the usual speculation about attitude and the like (something that seems to be particularly prevalent in Isidor’s case), I don’t think we should be writing their leaving cards just yet, and certainly not with any relish.
Much of how big an impact they can make between now and the end of the season will be determined by their mentality and mindset.
Any potential dented pride and unhappiness at currently playing second fiddle or not, it’s essential that Isidor and Mayenda don’t let their morale dip — not least for the good of team spirit — and that they remain on full alert; motivated, sharp and ready to take advantage of any opportunities that come their way.
Broadly speaking, I do believe that both men — two of the heroes of Sunderland’s 2024/2025 playoff campaign and who sit among the most impactful signings overseen by the now-departed Kristjaan Speakman — remain popular figures among the Sunderland fanbase and I also hope that despite their lack of game time, they’re still feeling supported by their coaches and teammates.
On a human level, Le Bris clearly understands that an in-favour footballer is often a productive footballer and he doubtless feels no pleasure at leaving them out, but it’s also fair that he picks his teams on form — and Brobbey undoubtedly deserves his place. These are the big decisions that we expect a Sunderland head coach to make and thus far, it’s hard to disagree with his reasoning.
Of course, what the future may hold is anyone’s guess but one major upside is that both players are real assets and are more than likely admired beyond Wearside.
Of the two, I do feel that Mayenda has the higher ceiling, the more explosive playing style and the greater top flight and maybe even international-standard potential, but Isidor’s penchant for the spectacular shouldn’t be downplayed and if he were to make the switch to a Premier League rival in the summer, sod’s law would probably dictate that he’d bang in fifteen league goals if he was utilised properly.
Despite the clamour in some circles to “Take the money” for the Frenchman in January and speculation that Mayenda wasn’t entirely trusted by Le Bris, I was and still am glad that they remained as Sunderland players when the window closed.
If — God forbid — Brobbey were to fall victim to injury himself or suffer a major downturn in form, the door would suddenly be opened and from the fringes, one of either Mayenda or Isidor would be pitched back into the heart of the action, so quickly can things change at this level.
For now, I want to see some real competitive fire and I’m sure Le Bris will be doing his utmost to ensure they remain in a positive space and eager to do a job for the team if called upon.
Managing a team comprised of such a wide range of differing personalities can be one of the modern-day football manager’s most arduous tasks, but Le Bris has shown his aptitude in this area on multiple occasions and this may be a similar situation.
Ultimately, it’s part of the deal. He’ll hopefully do right by Isidor and Mayenda, and they need to repay him if and when the chances come. That’s all that matters at this stage.
