Sky Sports pundit backs Ellis Simms to become Everton regular under Sean Dyche after goal in 2-2 draw v Chelsea
Stephen Warnock has backed Ellis Simms to shine under Sean Dyche after his goal for Everton in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Saturday (18 March).
The academy starlet notched his first Premier League goal late on to secure a massive point for the Toffees and help them sit in 15th place in the table heading into the international break.
Simms has had a tough time this season since being recalled from a loan spell at Sunderland by Frank Lampard, but after being throw into the deep end at Goodison Park by Dyche Warnock told Sky Sports News (20 March, 12:22) that he will see this as an opportunity to escape “limbo” and become a regular in the team.
“Being in limbo is the worst feeling as a player, it’s absolutely horrible,” he said.
“I think Simms has looked at this and thought, ‘you’re my opportunity to get first-team football.’
“He’s a Sean Dyche type of player. He’s a big, tall figure up front, who can be a target man, he can run off the shoulder.
“Is he going to be clinical? I think we’ll see in time, but the way he took that goal against Koulibaly… brushed him aside, breezed past him comfortably with pace, I thought good on you. Very well played.”
Opportunity
It’s every Everton fan’s dream to do what Ellis Simms did at the weekend, and it showed with the fan reaction to the goal in the stands and online.
Simms was given a rough ride by many after returning from his loan away and being chucked into the starting lineup by Dyche in the Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool, but most knew that was very harsh.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin still struggling with fitness problems and Neal Maupay really struggling to make any sort of impact in the Premier League, Simms represents a fresh slate for Dyche to mould into a number nine for his team for the rest of the season.
Simms has got the raw attributes to make things work, and Dyche is known as a demanding manager who works hard to develop the players he has and improve them, and Simms falls perfectly into that bracket.
If we can get him confident and scoring goals regularly, it will greatly improve the chances we have of survival and his chances of becoming a regular in the side for years to come.