Wilson Isidor is a confident player, and his goal against Watford was very encouraging!

Wilson Isidor’s clever finish almost earned Sunderland a point at Vicarage Road, and his entire performance was encouraging.

When he arrived at Sunderland earlier this summer, accompanied by a social media post from the club that I had no idea about (the image of a volleyball on a sandy beach meant nothing to me, but I’m admittedly old and out of touch), I was intrigued by what Wilson Isidor could potentially add to our team after we agreed to sign him on loan from Zenit St. Petersburg.

Throughout his post-arrival interviews, the twenty-four-year-old Frenchman maintained a polite and upbeat demeanor.

Isidor’s debut against Burnley was well-received. During a talk at Quinn’s Bar, he expressed confidence in his ability to play as a striker and score through the middle, despite initially playing on the left for the Under-21s.

So far so wonderful. He was clearly thrilled to be here, oozing energy, and making excellent attempts to interact with the supporters, but could the Frenchman make a message of similar intent where it counted most?

With that in mind, Isidor’s inclusion in the starting eleven at Vicarage Road on Saturday sparked plenty of interest.

He replaced Eliezer Mayenda against Watford, who was missing due to injury after excelling in several non-goal scoring previous games, with his enthusiasm and work rate appearing like an increasingly comfortable fit for the Régis Lebris system. Strikers have been a source of concern all summer, and with Mayenda out, Ahmed Abdullahi injured, and new recruit Aaron Connolly still settling in, this was Isidor’s opportunity to shine.

Has he taken it?

Personally, I believe he did, and not only did he get his name on the scoresheet with a smart finish in the second half off a Patrick Roberts pass, but his overall play and level of application were both impressive, giving everyone hope that if Le Bris chooses to rotate Mayenda and Isidor in the coming weeks, with Connolly gradually easing his way into first-team contention, we may eventually have this base covered.

Although it’s always difficult to gauge a player’s skill based on a single start, and during a game in which we didn’t play our best, Isidor seems like your typical Championship frontman.

Tall, lean, and with a rangy stride that allowed him to cover a lot of ground against the Hornets, he appeared to enjoy the battle with the home defence, and in addition to the chance he converted, another good chance was fired into the side netting in the first half, but his movement and awareness were excellent on both occasions.

Assuming Isidor starts against Derby County tomorrow night (which, in my opinion, he should, because chances may be limited and sharp finishing may be required), we’ll be able to assess where he stands, the skills he can bring to the table, and whether his admirable confidence can translate into a game-changing performance against what will undoubtedly be a game and feisty Rams team.

We appear to have three forwards in Isidor, Mayenda, and Connolly who will provide us with something unique, which is a valuable commodity throughout a long league season.

Connolly, who I imagine as a more effective and efficient Joe Gelhardt, should add punch, combativeness, and a bit of bite to the frontline, whereas Mayenda and Isidor are clearly Ross Stewart-type strikers: dynamic and all-action forwards who can press, stretch defenses, and finish chances that come their way.

They’ll improve as the season progresses; hopefully, they’ll be able to cheer each other on, push one other in practice, and continue to develop under Le Bris’ watchful eye.

With Roberts approaching his magnificent best on the right and Romaine Mundle improving on the left, it appears like our offense is gradually taking shape. An over-reliance on Jack Clarke’s brilliance was one of our key flaws last season, but if we can spread the goals about and keep our attackers fresh and blazing this time around, all the better.

Saturday was a big step forward for Isidor as he made his Sunderland debut.

He’s already a fan favourite; he’s certainly come to make an effect in red and white, and his goal might be the first of many during what should be a successful and memorable loan term.

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