Dyche chat helped Simms make a major impression
Everton's surprise decision to recall Ellis Simms on the eve of the January window began to pay off over the weekend as the striker scored a crucial equaliser at Stamford Bridge to keep his club's hopes of Premier League survival very much alive.
Therecalldecision,initially taken by Frank Lampard, has had significant consequences forSunderland.TheBlackCats have struggled for presence in the box after Ross Stewart's season was brought to an end through injury and the club were unable to secure a replacement on deadline day.
TheyhadhopedthatSimms couldreturninthefinaldaysof thewindow,butEverton'ssimilar failure to land a striker of their own meant the 22-yearold stayed at Goodison Park.
And it was a move that has so far yielded limited game time for Simms, with one start against Liverpool and a handful of cameos from the bench.
Sean Dyche has revealed how a midweek chat sparked Simms'bigmomentatChelsea, and raised the striker's hopes ofincreasinghisgametimebetween now and the end of the season."He’sstillgotalottoimprove," Dyche said.
"Hecameupintheweekactually and asked me ‘what do you think?’ I said: ‘Well. What do you think?’ He gave me four things and I said ‘you are right’.
"It’s taking action. These players know the things they havegottodo,itisjustastrange situation and they need guidance,someonetosay‘yeahyou arerightsothereforetakeownership and do it’. I thought [the Chelsea game] was a good sign of that, of the difference in his physicality. He is quick, he is strong and he used it.
"You can’t just wait for people to allow you to use it, you can’t just wait to mature as a player, you have to earn it, you have to go and work at your game. We started him at Liverpool, he found it too tough but it was a great learning curve and I said he would learn from it. And then he comes on and gets his reward for working hard and fighting hard.
"There’sotherthingshecan do better. The physical side of things seemed a challenge for himandIsaid‘wellthathasgot to change’. The game tells you what you need from it physically… But it’s great signs for a young player who has got the freedom to come out at StamfordBridge,joininandcreatea fine finish and a fine moment for the team and the fans.”