2022/23 Ellis Simms

[Lanolin]

Thought the kid played well to be honest, woefully isolated, but he was winning his own ball.

Would like to see him in a game where we can get further up the pitch.

I thought he was genuinely woeful. Not his fault we were relying on him obviously but his first touch was comically bad and I was very, very disappointed with the lack of nuisance value he offered. If you're a young lad trying to make a name for yourself I think there's an expectation that you're going to be chasing everything, leaving one in on centre halves etc - overcompensating for your lack of quality if you like. He just didn't do any of that, it was a pretty lethargic performance.

 

[Neiler]

I thought he was genuinely woeful. Not his fault we were relying on him obviously but his first touch was comically bad and I was very, very disappointed with the lack of nuisance value he offered. If you're a young lad trying to make a name for yourself I think there's an expectation that you're going to be chasing everything, leaving one in on centre halves etc - overcompensating for your lack of quality if you like. He just didn't do any of that, it was a pretty lethargic performance.

I didnt to be honest mate, i thought he did ok, he did some very tidy things and i thought he occupied the centre half well and gave them a bit to think about while in play - which was limited, thought he had a few nice touches, mobility isnt his strength in the sense that DCL is an athlete.

To be fair to the lad no one was shining in the role he was playing in last night, i doubt Harry Kane would have posted a better performance, we struggled to get over the half line and what the lad was winning and knocking down - his colleagues were a mile off and left him isolated, so one competed for the second ball he was winning. Really annoyed me that his team mates didn't support him given his inexperience at this level and left him to thankless job.

Of all the sinners last night, he would be a bit down my list, id like to see the lid in a game we could get further up the pitch and not be terrified to cross the half way line.

 

[billyblue80]

I thought he was genuinely woeful. Not his fault we were relying on him obviously but his first touch was comically bad and I was very, very disappointed with the lack of nuisance value he offered. If you're a young lad trying to make a name for yourself I think there's an expectation that you're going to be chasing everything, leaving one in on centre halves etc - overcompensating for your lack of quality if you like. He just didn't do any of that, it was a pretty lethargic performance.

He may be big but he isn't that kind of player he's a runner who can score the odd goal. Relying on a kid with one EPL start to his name is a total indictment of the entire club.

 

[Prevenger17]

It´s not like we´re sitting happy in midtable though. We can´t be giving players like Simms 3 or 4 games to see if he can adjust. The nature of our situation is that he has to hit the ground running or we´re buggered.

It's not his fault that this is the case. I just don't think we should be forming judgements or skewering a young player based on a single start, he's barely practiced with our first team, not to mention that we have been such a horrendous mess at every level for a decade that we are left in a situation of relying on a young unproven striker to lead the line in a relegation dogfight in the first place

 

[Prevenger17]

That's very true, but I think most of what people are saying is fair. He doesn't really look like a PL level striker to be honest

I honestly think it's way too soon to assert that. Given the situation we find ourselves in, he's not in a great position to show that he belongs, but if there's even a minute chance he can take this chance, we should give him it instead of writing him off after one game where absolutely nobody covered themselves in glory

 

[Lanolin]

I didnt to be honest mate, i thought he did ok, he did some very tidy things and i thought he occupied the centre half well and gave them a bit to think about while in play - which was limited, thought he had a few nice touches, mobility isnt his strength in the sense that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is an athlete.

To be fair to the lad no one was shining in the role he was playing in last night, i doubt Harry Kane would have posted a better performance, we struggled to get over the half line and what the lad was winning and knocking down - his colleagues were a mile off and left him isolated, so one competed for the second ball he was winning. Really annoyed me that his team mates didn't support him given his inexperience at this level and left him to thankless job.

Of all the sinners last night, he would be a bit down my list, id like to see the lid in a game we could get further up the pitch and not be terrified to cross the half way line.

I'm not singling him out as the worst sinner, I'm just talking about him here because this is his thread.

He may be big but he isn't that kind of player he's a runner who can score the odd goal. Relying on a kid with one EPL start to his name is a total indictment of the entire club.

Yes, i've already addressed both of those points. That doesn't change what i'm saying though, his own performance was poor and I was disappointed (although not particularly surprised) that he didn't work harder and try to do things that aren't within his comfort zone.

I honestly think it's way too soon to assert that. Given the situation we find ourselves in, he's not in a great position to show that he belongs, but if there's even a minute chance he can take this chance, we should give him it instead of writing him off after one game where absolutely nobody covered themselves in glory

Last night isn't the first time I've seen him play though? I'm not just saying he was poor last night so I don't think he'll make it, I'm saying from what i've seen of him at youth levels and on loan, and from what I've heard from others who've seen him much more, he doesn't have enough to his game to make it at the top. I'm not ruling it out completely or calling him abysmal, just saying that he would need to improve a lot to have a successful top flight career because at the moment he's a fair bit away from that level, and at 22 he's at an age where that improvement is far from a given.

 

[billyblue80]

I'm not singling him out as the worst sinner, I'm just talking about him here because this is his thread.

Yes, i've already addressed both of those points. That doesn't change what i'm saying though, his own performance was poor and I was disappointed (although not particularly surprised) that he didn't work harder and try to do things that aren't within his comfort zone.

Last night isn't the first time I've seen him play though? I'm not just saying he was poor last night so I don't think he'll make it, I'm saying from what i've seen of him at youth levels and on loan, and from what I've heard from others who've seen him much more, he doesn't have enough to his game to make it at the top. I'm not ruling it out completely or calling him abysmal, just saying that he would need to improve a lot to have a successful top flight career because at the moment he's a fair bit away from that level, and at 22 he's at an age where that improvement is far from a given.

Don't disagree I still think it would be better bringing him off the bench and giving him experience as an option but the alternative is Maupay so he may just carry on playing him as at least he is a big body who can nick the odd goal and what choice do we have? It's clear he isn't ready for this level (yet and may never be) always was. We don't make much as it is expecting him to bring what Dom does is expecting way too much. The entire team left him isolated. The fact we didn't bring a forward in of standard, during two transfer windows could be what sends us down

 

[Baggzio]

People will go overboard on him probably because his youth scoring record and how different he is to watch but he's probably just not a PL level striker, we knew that, it's why at 22 he was still getting loaned out to a Championship club where he was doing alright but nothing special. No need for people to be nasty about it, we'll probably sell him in the summer for like £5m or something like that.

Just watching him play last night and seeing how he was basically scoring a goal a game or whatever is was for our u21s I assume it's a physicality thing where he was just much more built up that the other young lads he was playing against, he's big and strong, if he was a bit more composed with a better first touch I think we could probably use him as an option but I think it would be best for everyone if he went somewhere where he could be first choice at his age.

 

[MACCA75]

People talk about him like he’s a kid. He’s older than Saka and Martinelli and the same age as Haaland. Michael Owen was closing in on 100 Prem goals at this point.

And before someone throws in Harry Kane - this lad isn’t Harry Kane.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I honestly think it's way too soon to assert that. Given the situation we find ourselves in, he's not in a great position to show that he belongs, but if there's even a minute chance he can take this chance, we should give him it instead of writing him off after one game where absolutely nobody covered themselves in glory

He's not actually that young anymore. It's not his fault at all, but he's not going to be able to get us out of trouble, he just isn't good enough. There isn't another team in this league where he would be getting game time.

Unfortunately we don't have time to wait on players who are not showing anything. Maupay is the better option right now and the manager needs to find a way to set the team up differently.

 

[LocalNative]

Looked every bit a Championship player last night.

 

[Egil Olsen]

I don't know the player well enough, but what provoked me the most was his unwillingness to participate in the match. Be a little aggressive, give a little beating, and run for your life. I understand that it is not easy - this is a completely different level than what he is used to - but he can compensate for it through the things I mention.

Getting the opportunity to play for Everton in a derby is something not many people get to experience, but he acted a bit like when Messi meets an amateur team in the cup (without the skills, of course) - very indifferent.

 

[granter79]

Does he stick with him on Saturday and again against Villa? Id have gone for Gray up top last night but changes the way Dyche plays.

Wouldn't have looked so bad if any of the midfielders managed to get within 10 yards of him

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

People talk about him like he’s a kid. He’s older than Saka and Martinelli and the same age as Haaland. Michael Owen was closing in on 100 Prem goals at this point.

And before someone throws in Harry Kane - this lad isn’t Harry Kane.

Not the point but Harry Kane also wasn't a late bloomer. He scored 21 goals in his age 21 season. Simms is just your average Championship striker.

 

[kenada_blue]

I don't know the player well enough, but what provoked me the most was his unwillingness to participate in the match. Be a little aggressive, give a little beating, and run for your life. I understand that it is not easy - this is a completely different level than what he is used to - but he can compensate for it through the things I mention.

Getting the opportunity to play for Everton in a derby is something not many people get to experience, but he acted a bit like when Messi meets an amateur team in the cup (without the skills, of course) - very indifferent.

He didn't do that for Sunderland from what I've read from the fans. He has box intelligence and is decent when no one is around him.

But that tough, strong, bully doesn't seem to be his game.