What has happened with Eliezer Mayenda at Sunderland?
Despite scoring in the play-off final and then in the Premier League opener against West Ham, Eliezer Mayenda has been forgotten at Sunderland.
Sunderland are eighth in the Premier League after 15 games, and it’s not by luck.
The Black Cats have adapted better to the top flight than any side for years, though it has come at a cost for several of those who played a prominent role in the Championship.
Dan Neil’s future looks to be away from Sunderland, and there are plenty of questions to be asked in regard to where Mayenda lies in all of this.
Eliezer Mayenda’s bizarre lack of game time needs answers
Mayenda was excellent in the Championship; he scored 10 goals and registered five assists in his first real campaign in senior football.
Questions then emerged as to whether he was cut out for life in the Premier League, and after he scored in Sunderland’s 3-0 win over West Ham, they were answered: yes.
However, that is one of just three games he has started in, having made just eight appearances in the top flight so far this season.
Just 264 minutes of football have been handed to the Spaniard, and what makes the situation even stranger is the fact that he has played just four minutes of football for the Black Cats since mid-October.
Wilson Isidor has been out of sorts as of late, with Brian Brobbey handed his chance more frequently, but there is still no room for Mayenda.
While it’s important to note that he’s still just 20 years old, his lack of involvement will raise concerns over his future, with a loan exit potentially on the cards in January.
What has Regis Le Bris said about Eliezer Mayenda?
At the start of the season, Le Bris made it clear that the Black Cats would assess Mayenda‘s adaptation to the Premier League.
There were a few concerns raised over his clinical nature as a striker, but the Frenchman spoke highly of his qualities, making it seem even more out of the ordinary for him to have had such a lack of involvement.
Le Bris said in August: “I like Eli and his mindset. He still wants to improve, and he has shown during this pre-season where he is at the minute, and the potential that he has, and the vast potential that he has is always something to achieve.
“It is very important for a young player to understand that. You can feel his strength and his ability to hold the ball, to turn, to dribble and to be a threat inside the box as well.
“But the final bit for a striker is to be clinical. That is the next stage for him but I really like him.”
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