Sideways Sammy

Ellis Simms has continued to struggle to get going in a Coventry City shirt, but cannot really be accused of not trying. Signed for a big fee over the summer and having found form in front of the goal in pre-season, a big miss against Leicester City on the opening day was the start of the striker’s travails in Sky Blue. Having scored in just two out of 26 league games for the club, one of Simms’ biggest issues at the moment is a lack of confidence in front of goal, with the other being not having a large amount of chances created for him. More recently, Simms has carved a niche out for himself as a hard-working physical presence at centre-forward who has aided others in finding scoring form, with the feeling remaining that it’s a matter of time before the goals eventually come his way.

After struggling to impose himself on matches early on during his time at Coventry City, Ellis Simms has made huge strides in his ability to occupy centre-backs, make runs into channels to act as an outlet up front and link the play. Simms has gone from looking almost aloof in his efforts in attack to a really hardworking forward who can be a real handful for opposing defenders to deal with. The next part is in getting on the end of and taking chances, which at the moment is affected by how much of the team’s play comes through the wide attacking players. Given Simms’ ability to attack crosses, he could prove to be an effective Plan B if opponents look to sit in as part of an attempt to limit the space Haji Wright and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto have to run into.

Ellis Simms is certainly putting in all the effort required to work his way into form, but that will soon need to be backed up with goals. As a big money signing, there needs to be more tangible evidence from Simms that he will prove a more valuable investment than any of the potential other strikers that could have been recruited last summer. The period between now and the end of the season, the next few months especially, look to be a crucial period in Ellis Simms’ Coventry City career, as the debate around him turns from whether he will be a good signing for the club towards if there are any better alternatives that could replace him.