Sunderland: Regis Le Bris still has Mayenda issue despite Cardiff win - View | OneFootball

Despite Sunderland's opening day victory against Cardiff, Regis Le Bris still has issues that need to be resolved up front.

Although Sunderland produced a fine attacking display during their victory against Cardiff City on Saturday, there was one defining moment of concern for Regis Le Bris.

The Black Cats ran out deserved winners after their 2-0 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium, with goals from Luke O'Nien and Jack Clarke. In beating Cardiff, it was the Wearsiders' first opening day victory in the second tier since 1998, when they defeated QPR 1-0.

There were several positives that came out of the Black Cats' performance. Dennis Cirkin was perhaps the pick of the bunch with his excellent all-round display and Sunderland carried a threat going forward, with stellar performances from Patrick Roberts, Jobe Bellingham and Clarke.

Despite the notable performances of the Black Cats' midfielders, Le Bris will want to address the team's problems up front, with Eliezer Mayenda's glaring miss a timely reminder of where the Wearsiders could fall short this season.

Mayenda miss sums up Sunderland's striker problems

Mayenda was given a rare opportunity to start for the Black Cats on Saturday, having previously made eight appearances for the club. The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at Hibernian, where he played twice without scoring a goal.

The 19-year-old was given the nod ahead of Nazariy Rusyn and Luis 'Hemir' Semedo, who both failed to make a significant impact at the Stadium of Light last season.

Although it was only the first game of the season, there was one defining moment which the Spaniard will want to forget. On the break, Bellingham squared the ball to Mayenda, who had the goal at his mercy, but the forward fluffed his lines with an unconvincing effort.

In Mayenda's defence, he is young and inexperienced at this level, therefore it would be unfair to pin the blame on him for this critical moment. The 19-year-old will learn and could yet prove to be a success at the Stadium of Light in years to come.

However, what his miss did highlight, was that Sunderland have a glaring issue in the forward position. Although the Black Cats scored two goals against Cardiff, they cannot rely on the rest of their team for goals.

Sunderland will come up against tougher opposition over the rest of the campaign, meaning they simply cannot afford to pass up chances like the one that fell to Mayenda on Saturday.

As the Alexandre Mendy saga drags on, Sunderland's other potential targets are moving on.

Mendy looked to be the perfect candidate for the Black Cats this summer, with the Frenchman's stellar record in Ligue 2 over the last three seasons. However, the move to bring him to the Stadium of Light has stalled, with the player and his agent putting out statements of frustration to French media outlet, Foot Mercato.

While the club have been trying to get the deal over the line, the Wearsiders have started pursuing other targets, but they have been coming and going. The club tried to swoop for Ike Ugbo, who eventually signed for Sheffield Wednesday, and now Dane Scarlett has signed on loan for Oxford United.

With the movement in the transfer market picking up pace, the Black Cats cannot afford to be left behind, otherwise they will be left with slim pickings.

The club have also been touted with a move for Scarlett's Spurs teammate, Will Lankshear, as per GiveMeSport, but are yet to make a formal offer. Furthermore, Sky Sports pundit, Keith Downie, revealed that the Black Cats are considering a move for Bournemouth's Daniel Jebbison, who is available on loan.

Despite the club's reported interest in these strikers, they are yet to put in any offers. With time of the essence, the club will have to make some vital decisions over the coming weeks.

With under three weeks to go until the transfer window closes, Sunderland are yet to bolster their forward line, which proved to be a problem area on the pitch last season.

Although the club recorded an impressive win at Cardiff on Saturday, Mayenda's miss provided a timely reminder of where the Black Cats could fall short this season.