Sideways Sammy

Will the real Ellis Simms please stand up?

Is Ellis Simms the striker that scored 15 goals in 14 appearances (in all competitions) last season, or the one who has registered just nine in the 71 appearances he’s made either side of that run? While there is mounting evidence that the hot streak last season is not the norm for Ellis Simms, there remains a sense that he has been prevented from getting towards that kind of form by circumstances beyond his control. That there was a period between September and January of this campaign where Simms was not given the chance to start back-to-back games highlights the lack of trust in him from his managers, whether or not that is deserved is the key question with Simms.

Ellis Simms has all the raw attributes to be one of the best strikers in the Championship. A strong finisher who can play with real physicality, Simms can be both a penalty area poacher and a target man to get the team up the pitch. What has felt a key issue for Ellis Simms during his time with Coventry City is that the team doesn’t generate a large volume of chances for him, often forcing him to drift into areas to get involved or be left completely isolated. Additionally, it seems apparent that Simms is a confidence player, with his touch – which can range from delicate to amateurishly lumpen – being the bellwether as to what kind of performance he’s about to produce.

Over 18 months into his time at Coventry City, there still remains the promise with Ellis Simms that he can explode into the kind of form to make him the team’s main man. As much as Simms might point to periods where he wasn’t given the trust in order to thrive, his goal return is increasingly serving to justify that lack of trust. He is a striker who is in desperate need of a strong run of form between now and the end of the season, otherwise there will have to be questions over Ellis Simms’ future at the club.