Ellis Simms Sunderland
Everton striker Ellis Simms is not good enough to play Premier League football, according to journalist Tony Scott.
The Lowdown: Simms’ season
The 22-year-old striker had enjoyed a fruitful beginning to the current season as he netted seven goals and two assists in 17 games for Championship side Sunderland.
He was later recalled to Goodison Park in January as Everton were embroiled in a relegation scrap, with the club eager to bring the striker back to add extra firepower to their survival bid.
But with only 15 minutes of action for the Toffees since he returned and being an unused substitute in their last two outings, Simms has failed to make any impact.
The Latest: Scott’s comments
Speaking on the All Together Now Everton Podcast, Scott questioned how Everton could deal with the potential unavailability of Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Liverpool on Monday night, with Dyche claiming his main man is “touch-and-go” ahead of the Merseyside derby.
On Simms’ potential prospects, Scott said: “[If] Ellis Simms plays up front – yeah, he’s a big lad, but he’s not good enough. He’s not good enough at this level, we’ve seen that.
“He’d be a physical presence, he’d be annoying, but he’s not going to hold the ball up. He’s not got [what] Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s got in winning fouls, winning free kicks, holding the ball up, running the channels.”
The Verdict: Point to prove
If Calvert-Lewin is unavailable for the Merseyside clash at Anfield, then the striking options for Sean Dyche are Simms and the so far hopeless summer arrival Neal Maupay, who’s netted just once all season.
22-year-old Simms could therefore be poised to prove his doubters wrong and kickstart his Everton career, with the youngster proving he does have an eye for goal following his spell in the Championship, as well as with Blackpool in League One and Hearts who he bagged 10 and seven respectively for in loan spells.
Simms is currently in the top 14% for goals amongst forwards playing at a similar level to him over the past year (as per FBref), as well as being in the top 19% for aerials won and 26% for assists. So his stats do show that Scott has maybe jumped the gun on the youngster, who’s yet to have a fair crack at Everton.
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