WRIGHT and SIMMS through the middle (6 Viewers)

[SIR ERNIE]

Most teams in this league would give their eyeteeth to have Wright and Simms in their squads.
Maybe we are finally realising the bleedin obvious: that you get the best out of them individually and collectively when you play them as a partnership through the middle.
All too often oppositions CBs have had an easy time 2 on 1 against Simms with Wright on the touchline.
Together they're a handful and now must be given a run of games to get their form and confidence.

 

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[pusbccfc]

Long ball to them is unstoppable

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

More balance to the side especially when Rudoni replaced Kitching

 

[nicksar]

Simms & Wright need to start if fit.... thought Simms played really well today.

 

[ptr]

Yes they are bloody awkward at times and frustrating but they are a handful. Both put themselves about today. They’ll get goals up there.

 

[Cally Fedora]

They looked a handful today. Although I don’t think Wright played through the middle. Rudoni was sticking some great balls in. I’d still like to see either of them attacking them a bit more aggressively.

 

[Paul Anthony]

Feel we need to give these two a run of games together now. Simms definitely needs to build confidence, and we well know what he can do when he's got it. Hopefully the goal today gives him the kick he needs to get going.

The fact that people were thinking Wright needed dropping was absolutely ludicrous. His all round play today was superb, held it up well (something I've felt he hasn't done well enough in previous games), and was right there to poach the winner. The only things he did wrong today were he took that shot, when there was an easy pass out to Rudoni to keep the pressure on them, and then the pass to Simms he didn't take early on in the game, but other than those two things, he was absolutely brilliant, he was even back to help out in defence at times today, which has been another area he's needed to improve.

 

[Otis]

Simms showed today what he is capable of.

We know his touch is poor and is poor when his confidence is low, but there is a player in there and he played very well today.

 

[eyesee]

i prefer haji on the wing, tbh. did well today, and i thought simms had a great game, but i think haji's better when he has a bit more space out wide.

 

[Deity]

i prefer haji on the wing, tbh. did well today, and i thought simms had a great game, but i think haji's better when he has a bit more space out wide.

WOW

 

[marrrkjay_ccfc]

Yes! Start Simms and Wright together as a 2. Then you can sub Thomas-Asante and Bassette on if/when they tire. If we are chasing the game we can bring on Rudoni, Torp and Mason-Clark and go for it!

 

[clint van damme]

Long ball to them is unstoppable

Long ball in to the channels

 

[clint van damme]

Most teams in this league would give their eyeteeth to have Wright and Simms in their squads.
Maybe we are finally realising the bleedin obvious: that you get the best out of them individually and collectively when you play them as a partnership through the middle.
All too often oppositions CBs have had an easy time 2 on 1 against Simms with Wright on the touchline.
Together they're a handful and now must be given a run of games to get their form and confidence.

Should have crafted another goal between them, hopefully they get a run and a better understanding will come.

 

[CCFCSteve]

Long ball in to the channels

Said it all season. It plays to our strengths. It also makes teams think twice about pressing us so high, which we struggle with and so gives midfield/defenders more time to play.

 

[We'll_live_and_die]

Sorry back to the op, what the fuck is eyeteeth? @SIR ERNIE

 

[ccfc922]

I thought about this earlier, but remember when Haji was better on the LW and scoring?

 

[Porkchophill]

Aggression today throughout the team , both forwards played to their strengths today , against a big physical side . Sharpest performance of the season

 

[Ashdown]

Definitely more effective when playing closer together and indeed many famous striking partnerships have worked that way. I’m a big fan of Wright but still to be convinced by Simms. I want to see him hungry and aggressive every game, not 1 in 5 ! Yesterday was hopefully the beginnings of that

 

[covcity4life]

Still would like to see us try 442!

 

[SBAndy]

I thought about this earlier, but remember when Haji was better on the LW and scoring?

Think he’d…struggle is maybe the wrong word…but not be as impactful up top on his own. In a 2 he can drift a bit and it’s fine, go and find the space.

 

[Great_Expectations]

On paper it’s a really really strong strike force.

A few of us have been saying, we have to play quick ball and use the pace of our strikers. Yesterday we saw that at times and it worked.

I know Simms journey on here is a rollercoaster; boo boy -> liked -> worried he’d be poached -> boo boy again - but hopefully people realise despite his clumsy nature he’s a good player, and still young!!

Such a confidence player too, we need to continue to get behind him.

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

Just been watching the highlights (again) and what a brilliant header from Simms for the third goal, right into the danger area!

 

[larry_david]

Simms needs to believe! He's a huge unit of a player and is quick once he gets going, he should be a defenders nightmare and he can be.

A few times first half yesterday he finally took a positive touch and drove down the wing, the crowd loved it and the defender absolutely hated it.

 

[skybluegod]

Just been watching the highlights (again) and what a brilliant header from Simms for the third goal, right into the danger area!

It's one of Simms actual strengths that's why it worked yesterday.

I mentioned on the ratings thread. That technically Simms is quite poor, however his physicality and aerial ability are good, and we should really look to utilise them more than we do.

 

[fatso]

Most teams in this league would give their eyeteeth to have Wright and Simms in their squads.
Maybe we are finally realising the bleedin obvious: that you get the best out of them individually and collectively when you play them as a partnership through the middle.
All too often oppositions CBs have had an easy time 2 on 1 against Simms with Wright on the touchline.
Together they're a handful and now must be given a run of games to get their form and confidence.

They work well together upfront when the opposition employ a high press, as they give us an outlet, but one of them needs to be able to hold the ball up and play the other one in, that hasn't always been the case.

Yesterday they were both in beast mode, which makes them an absolute hand full for defenders. We need to see a lot more of that.

 

[clint van damme]

I really like Bassette and think he's going to become a very good player.
But he's far too young and raw to carry, or to justify, the expectation of being the saviour of a struggling side.

Simms,and Wright coming into form will dampen that down and allow him to develop in his own time which can only be a good thing.

Hopefully more of the same from them for the rest of the season.

 

[Grendel]

On paper it’s a really really strong strike force.

A few of us have been saying, we have to play quick ball and use the pace of our strikers. Yesterday we saw that at times and it worked.

I know Simms journey on here is a rollercoaster; boo boy -> liked -> worried he’d be poached -> boo boy again - but hopefully people realise despite his clumsy nature he’s a good player, and still young!!

Such a confidence player too, we need to continue to get behind him.

Simms isn’t a boo boy.

The criticism has been entirely justified. He hasn’t impacted games anywhere near enough and hasn’t used his physicality to any real effect all season. He’s failed to score in about 80% of league games

 

[fatso]

Simms isn’t a boo boy.

The criticism has been entirely justified. He hasn’t impacted games anywhere near enough and hasn’t used his physicality to any real effect all season. He’s failed to score in about 80% of league games

100% agree
When he's in the mood he can be unplayable, unfortunately he's very rarely in the mood, that's why he's had the criticism.

We need to see some consistency now.

 

[alexccfc99]

Even including the two games he notched hattricks last season I thought that was Simms best game in a City shirt yesterday

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Both need to massively improve their finishing and decision making, but yes it’s a partnership I want to see more of.

 

[Grendel]

Both need to massively improve their finishing and decision making, but yes it’s a partnership I want to see more of.

Does Wright? He scores a goal every other game on average and is always a threat with his pace. Also is powerful in the air

 

[eyesee]

Still would like to see us try 442!

agreed.
but i think simms and bassette in the middle would be interesting to see. with haji on the left.
haji can play more central, but i think he's better on the wing where he has more room. and he drifts in anyway when he can.

bassette is still young and raw, so might be a bit early for this. but i'd certainly give it 10-15mins at the end of a game to see what havoc they could cause. would be an interesting option to try out.

 

[PUSB-We_are_going_up]

Haji with Simms paired is perfect as Haji can run off and hit the wide areas but he’s not only limited to that Haji can also be the target which means Simms doesnt have every defender and midfielder stuck on him giving him more time and space and an outlet to flick to which we have been crying out for

 

[robbiethemole]

I think we probably saw the real Ellis Simms for the first time yesterday, power, aggression and energy, coupled with goal scoring and assists. The complete No 9, he's actually a very quick player as shown when he sprinted closing down, where's that been until now?
Hopefully this is his standard now and can drag the rest of the team along with him.

 

[Otis]

I think we probably saw the real Ellis Simms for the first time yesterday, power, aggression and energy, coupled with goal scoring and assists. The complete No 9, he's actually a very quick player as shown when he sprinted closing down, where's that been until now?
Hopefully this is his standard now and can drag the rest of the team along with him.

He's shown flashes of what he's capable of, before.

He looked at his best yesterday.