IMAGINE the reaction had Sunderland fans been told at the start of the summer that the Black Cats wouldn't sign a proven striker this summer.

Imagine the reaction had they been told three months ago that Sunderland would go into the season with Eliezer Mayenda as their leading frontman.

And imagine the reaction had they been told that, despite the above, there'd actually be little discontent after the closure of the summer transfer window.

There'd have been understandable anger and concern a couple of months ago at the idea of losing Jack Clarke and failing to sign an experienced striker proven at this level or something similar.

And it may well still prove costly. Only time will tell.

But right now, Regis Le Bris has achieved the improbable in shifting the focus away from strikers and what Sunderland don't have at the top of the pitch. And one of the ways he's done that is by instantly recognising something and getting a tune out of a striker who was already on their books.

Eliezer Mayenda was exceptional at Portsmouth on Saturday, bullying the home defence throughout and leading the line like a striker who'd played at this level for many a year. All his performance lacked was the goal he deserved but he still had a hand in the three that sent Sunderland into the international break on the back of a fourth straight win and top of the Championship table.

His low strike was spilled by Will Norris in the build-up to Zak Swanson's first half own-goal and Mayenda's 51st minute shot then looked goalbound but Alan Browne made sure on the line.

Chris Rigg understandably got the plaudits for Sunderland's third goal six minutes later, fearlessly crunching into a midfield challenge that sparked a counter but it was Mayenda who then picked up the loose ball and charged towards the terrified home defence, before playing in Romaine Mundle to finish.

As Le Bris himself admitted earlier this summer, it's too much to expect Mayenda to carry the weight of expectation alone as Sunderland's lead striker all season. He needs help, which will hopefully come from new signings Wilson Isidor and Ahmed Abdullahi, while Nazariy Rusyn remains on the books. But on the evidence of the win at Portsmouth and the early weeks of the season, those other options have a job on their hands to displace the 19-year-old.

He was such a handful for the home defence at Fratton Park. The power, the pace - and there's an attacking instinctiveness about his play as well. It's no coincidence that he was in the right place in the box for Sunderland's first and second goals.

And with each performance like this one and with each win will come more confidence. That's the case not just with Mayenda but across the side. It's already evident. There was a polished maturity to Sunderland's display on the south coast. They didn't really break sweat in the first half but were still ahead at the break then went through the gears after the restart.

"There's still a balance between confidence and consistency," said head coach Le Bris.

"We need to create those conditions. I'm really sure we can have a reminder of last season, which was very important for the players. They experienced many bad and good situations and now we know if we're not consistent as a team, if we don't defend together, if we don't attack together, if we are selfish, we'll lose. This balance at the minute is OK but we need to be very consistent.

"The key point here was the ability to use the experience of the first half and understand what we could change and if we change the small details it could influence the game. We did it and I am happy."

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The only disappointment was the fact a fourth straight clean sheet went out of the window in the dying minutes but that's a Fratton Park footnote. Sunderland would have certainly deserved another shut-out. Anthony Patterson had very little to do and Dan Ballard enjoyed an assured return to the side for his first start of the season in the absence of Aji Alese.

Chris Mepham won't have come in to sit on the bench, so Le Bris has some difficult decisions to make at the back.

As he does in midfield. Rigg started the season on the bench but how on earth can he end up back there? He will, of course, need to have his minutes monitored but judging purely on performance, he's looking more and more like a must in the XI.

The midfield trio of Rigg, Browne and Jobe Bellingham worked incredibly well together but Dan Neil will be back in the team, you'd think, after serving his one-match ban. And Salis Abdul Samed will link up with the squad next week.

Depth will be needed this season as will resilience, for it won't always be as plain sailing as this first month. But a trip to winless Plymouth after the international stoppage looks like a fine opportunity for the Black Cats to make it five out of five.

It's another incredibly long trip for the Sunderland fans but the miles are well worth it when they're rewarded with performances and wins.

The 2000-plus Wearsiders at Fratton Park on Saturday roared their way through the 90 minutes and showed their appreciation at full-time.

"The link is impressive," said Le Bris,

"You can feel the energy. When it's hard for the team we still have the noise behind us and it's so useful."

Hard for the team? They made the Portsmouth win look easy.