How will Everton sacking Frank Lampard affect Sunderland's Ellis Simms chances?

Will Sunderland be forced to abandon hopes of Ellis Simms return?

Frank Lampard is on the brink of the sack at Everton, and it’s hard not to wonder about what knock-on effect that might have on Sunderland this month.

Everton lost 2-0 at West Ham last week to leave them second-bottom of the Premier League with just goal-difference separating them from basement club Southampton.

Ellis Simms was an unused substitute in that game, and it’s no secret that Sunderland would love to sign him on loan for the rest of the season.

So, would Lampard being sacked change anything?

How will Frank Lampard sacking affect Sunderland Ellis Simms deal?

You’d have to say there is a very good chance it will scupper it entirely. It was Lampard who recalled Simms, apparently out of desperation, and Lampard who was not using him.

The fact Lampard appears to have already made up his mind about Simms, specifically that he is not up to Premier League level yet, was definitely working in Sunderland’s favour.

It appeared Everton were just waiting to get their own striker signings over the line before allowing Simms to re-join Sunderland. He has played a total of 15 minutes in four matches since returning to Everton. The decision had clearly been made.

However, a new manager will want to reassess everything and make his own judgement on the squad. That’s going to take time, and given their precarious situation in the Premier League, a new boss is unlikely to want to take many risks.

What could help Sunderland’s chances of signing Ellis Simms?

The good news for Sunderland is that, like most other clubs these days, Everton have taken recruitment out of the hands of the manager.

Kevin Thelwell is the sporting director at the club and takes the lead on recruitment in a similar role to that of Kristjaan Speakman at Sunderland.

That could mean that a decision on Simms will be made above the head of any new manager with the player’s development given a lot of priority. They will have done their own assessments on where Simms is right now and are unlikely to want him to be starved of football at such a critical time in his career.

After all, Everton may well need a ready-made top Championship striker for next season. Much as well all like Simms, I think everyone will accept he’s not going to change Everton’s fate in the Premier League, but he could be vital to them if the worst happens.

By the same token, an internal or quick appointment would help Sunderland’s cause. If someone like Duncan Ferguson, who knows Simms very well and will be aware of his limitations as far as the Premier League is concerned, is appointed, you’d think that would make a return to Wearside much more likely.

Either way, though, Lampard’s sacking will throw a spanner in the works for Sunderland.

What next in Sunderland striker search?

Sunderland have made it very clear all month that they are not relying on Ellis Simms coming back. In fact, Tony Mowbray specifically said last week that the club can’t wait for Everton to make a decision.

"What'll happen is that we'll sign another striker or two and they'll offer him back to us on the last day and we won't be able to pay what we were paying before! We can't wait for Ellis hoping that on the last day they say he can come back,” Mowbray said.

"We have to try and do our business now, that's the way it has to be. You always have to have more than one option in any recruitment business, because if you only have one option they can keep driving the price and you end up getting uncomfortable with the numbers that you start paying because he is the one you want.

"You have to be able to bounce him off against another guy, and if you say he's not coming unless we do that then he's not coming. It'll depend on whether we can get some more signings over the line because we have to push on with signings.

"We can't wait for Everton to decide whether Ellis Simms is coming back or not. If we sign some players and we don't need another centre-forward, he won't be coming back - that's the reality.

"It sounds like a threat but it's not meant to be. We just have to do our business and look after Sunderland AFC by bringing in another option or two as strikers. If the phone rings this afternoon and Everton say he can come back, the club has to make a decision whether to stop the negotiations that we are doing elsewhere and bring Ellis back.

"We're spinning plates, really. If the other options fall into place, it's not likely we will be able to pay X-thousand pounds a week for Ellis to come in and sit on our bench.

"That's football, we have to do what's right for us. As far as I know, Everton are trying to sign strikers and if they sign them then Ellis probably gets pushed down the line a little bit and the opportunity for him to come back becomes greater

"But if we sign two strikers before then, there's every chance he won't be coming back."

We can certainly expect Sunderland to push ahead with other striker targets, and the club have definitely earned some trust when it comes to the recruitment side of things.

---

Read more Sunderland coverage

• Ten players you probably forgot played for Sunderland in League One
• 'Terrific' - Michael Carrick gives verdict on Tony Mowbray, Amad Diallo and Sunderland play-off chances
• Five recent transfers that show Sunderland January signings are worth the wait
• Newcastle and RB Leipzig making 'inquiries' about on-loan Sunderland youngster
• 'The kind of personality you want' - Tony Mowbray pays tribute to Sunderland star
• Sunderland could allow defender to make January exit with SPL club keen
• Amad Diallo to remain at Sunderland after Man Utd clause to recall him early expired