Fan Comment

The Development of Ellis Simms

Everybody has heard of Ellis Simms... not everybody has seen him but everybody will have an opinion; he's potentially next in line to become an Everton Academy graduate playing in the Premier League. So I thought I'd look back at his development. As ever, most of the facts are accurate, but opinions of course are just my opinions.

First impressions are often lasting impressions, and the first time I saw young Ellis was as a strapping 16-year-old on a dodgy internet stream while playing for the Under-18s in a pre-season tournament (2018-19). I'd heard of this supposedly highly rated kid that we'd got from Manchester City via Blackburn Rovers, but I confess my real interest lay elsewhere. I wanted to see more of a stick-thin ginger-haired urchin who'd played a few games for the U18s as a schoolboy the previous season (2017-18).

I can't remember much about Anthony Gordon in that match, but he seems to have done okay since. What I do remember about young Ellis was his first shot, a “thunk” of a drive that hit the post. Then, when next played through into the box, the ball bobbled off his left foot, hit his right knee, and went out for a goal kick. So an unremarkable first sight really, as he was as likely then to thunk the ball into the net as bounce it off his knee out of play.

In that U18 season, he was outshone by fellow first-year scholars Anthony Gordon and Korede Adeydoyin. Both played more games; both scored more goals. For me, that set a pattern that has continued; Simms has always seemed to be a year behind Gordon in his development despite their physical differences.

I don't see that as a criticism, just a view that often youngsters develop at different rates, each individual is different: some need more time than others. Korede Adedoyin, by the way, was let go in July and is now with Sheffield Wednesday, so best of luck to him in his career.

It was in his second season (2018-19) that Simms started making headlines with a shedload of goals for the U18s. Playing as the centre of an attacking three, he was well supplied by the attacking midfielders, Einar Iversen, Bobby Carroll and Mackenzie Hunt — all of whom are now with him in the U23s. The tactic was play the ball through for Ellis to run onto and he would do the rest.

But, in fairness to Simms, he also created a number of goals himself, muscling defenders off the ball if they dallied with it, and often shooting in from tight angles with either foot. These were of course by-and-large 17-year-old defenders easily outmuscled, but the shear volume of goals he was scoring led to some ridiculous calls to get him into the first-team squad.

What was clear, though, was that the coaches had worked to harness his power and speed to make him a big threat at this level. But the weaknesses were there: a lack of heading ability for someone his size, a bit one-dimensional in that, going forward, he was great — that's how his goals came — but he rarely had to play with his back to goal or bring others into play.

It's not that usual to have someone score as many goals in an Under-18 season as often they are promoted half-way through the season, a good example being Mason Greenwood who was rattling them in for Man Utd U18s as a schoolboy, then next season, when Simms was scoring, he was promoted to their U23s.

Simms didn't feature in our U23s until the last three or four games of that season and he didn't really make an impact. This was the U23s (2018-19) title-winning season and I remember watching one match when our two main strikers, Fraser Hornby and Bassala Sambou, both failed to score when through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. I couldn't help but think that Simms would have scored at least one, if not both, of those chances — that was his trade mark.

The view seemed to be that he wasn't quite ready for the step-up yet and he needed more work. I personally think he should have played more U23 minutes that season to speed up his development... but it's water under the bridge now.

So Simms emerged from the U18s with a big reputation but clearly still a work in progress. Although he'd been called up into the same England U18 squad as Anthony Gordon, he never actually played, I think the games were cancelled or maybe he was injured.

Ellis Simms started off in the 2019-20 season for the U23s and he rarely featured in the first few months. But, once he'd settled in, the goals came and he scored 8 goals in 11 starts and 4 appearances off the bench. What we were seeing last season was the beginning of a more rounded Ellis Simms, the hard work done with the season coaches was evident. He was now also playing with his back to goal, controlling the ball, laying off and moving, getting around the pitch more, but still showing that ability to finish if he got the chance.

This season, 2020-21, the progress has continued. I think he's scored 4 goals in about 5 games. At times, he's been played in a three, reflecting the way the first team are playing, with fast skilful guys outside him, and then the goals have come. And he's doing the things you'd expect from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the running back, holding the ball up, laying it off, turning and running at defenders, sometimes the outlet for the long ball from the back.

In recent games, he's been playing very much as a lone striker, required to hold the ball up while the midfielders come up to support him, again something Calvert-Lewin has to do when we drop into a five-man midfield formation.

It's interesting to compare Calvert-Lewin and Simms at similar ages. Calvert-Lewin was far more mobile and hard-working and of course had greater strength in the air. Simms I would say is a better one-on-one goalscorer and striker of the ball. But Calvert-Lewin didn't play that many games at U23s level to compare and of course was a World Cup winner with England U20s so you'd have to say Simms is behind where Calvert-Lewin was at a similar age.

Which brings me back to my earlier comments. Simms's development has been slow and steady, perhaps a year behind the likes of Gordon and Calvert-Lewin if you compared them age for age. He doesn't have the natural flair of Gordon but undoubtedly he's worked hard on all elements of his game and is continuing to improve.

I view every player as different and don't subscribe to the “If he hasn't made it by ... age then he won't make it” theory. Simms is on his own development path and training with the first team will undoubtedly help this. That path suggested by David Unsworth seemed to be to continue with the U23s, then maybe a loan move in January.

The loan of Moise Kean to Paris St Germain and Richarlison's suspension after the derby may have altered that thinking. He's the obvious current back-up to Calvert-Lewin, although Gordon has also played as a No 9 down the middle, and as such may warrant a bench spot over the next few weeks.

The optimist in me is hoping that Carlo Ancelotti will be having a training ground conversation along the lines of “Ellis, when you come on and you see James Rodriguez with the ball, I want you to run diagonally left to right into the box. One of two things will then happen. James will either clip a sublime 20-yard pass into your path, your job is to attack the goal, get your shot off and show you are a threat. Alternatively he will hit a sweet 40-yard pass out to Luca. As you are not Dominic, Luca will drive the ball low into the 6-yard box, your job is to time your run and be on the end of it for your first goal. Football is simple.”

All said with the merest hint of a raised eyebrow.

Reader Comments (23)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

About these ads

---

---