Sideways Sammy

A much sought-after player recruited by Coventry City this summer as a signal of ambition, Ellis Simms has yet to get going in his first ten or so games for the club. The striker has clearly been searching for both confidence and a role in the team’s system, showing in flashes what he might be capable of when he works things out but it’s not quite clear yet what Simms will look like when that happens. As much as Ellis Simms needs to build some momentum individually, the team could probably be doing more to help him out.

Ellis Simms has been asked to do a lot of his work well away from the penalty area in his first appearances for Coventry City. While he can’t be criticised for a lack of effort, he has yet to become the physical presence and link player that Mark Robins seems to be keen to develop him into. That has possibly also impacted Simms’ confidence around the penalty area, where he has looked shy in taking on shots and has let opportunities to test the goalkeeper pass him by. Simms’ one goalscoring performance thus far, in grabbing a brace against Queens Park Rangers, demonstrated good instincts in taking chances put on a plate for him, but the team’s lack of creativity means Simms has been unable to build on that.

The biggest positive that can be said about Ellis Simms at Coventry City thus far is that he has been willing to work to carve out a role for himself in the side. He has started to improve in his ability to physically occupy defenders and attempts to link play, which could end up making Simms a more complete striker if he can start adding goals to his game soon. Simms could do with the team meeting him half-way and start creating better chances for him. If that happens, the Sky Blues could have a real edge in the final third with Ellis Simms as both a presence and finisher. It is going to take some work from both the player and the team to get to that point.