Everton loanee Ellis Simms sole stand out player as Hearts gets 5-0 Sunday stuffing
Everton youngster Ellis Simms was on the receiving end of a 5-0 hammering with his loan club Hearts at the hands of Rangers on Sunday (6 February).
The 21-year-old was surprisingly dropped by Jambos manager Robbie Neilson but he was called upon at half-time to try and change the game.
Ultimately, he couldn’t do much on his own to turn the tide of a very one-sided affair but he did look the most likely Hearts player to make an impact on the game.
Simms earned rave reviews from a section of fans on social media as his teammates were lambasted for a lacklustre display.
The statistics though don’t tell the whole story with Simms only touching the ball 15 times in the second half with eight passes and no shots on goal [WhoScored.com].
That wasn’t his fault really though as none of his teammates were able to bring the ball away from their own defensive third which left him isolated for much of the match.
Simms is by no means the finished product yet and he needs to start more games in the Scottish Premiership to satisfy Frank Lampard that he can come back to Merseyside next season and be a first-team candidate.
But perhaps today’s game isn’t one to judge him on with such a difference in class between the two sides.
As the Jambos take on some of the lesser sides north of the border, Simms should come into his own and start hitting a run of form.
He has already opened his account in Scotland, scoring in their 2-0 win at home to Motherwell in late January.
With Lewis Dobbin also pushing for first-team chances at Goodison Park, Everton’s striker conundrum is in good hands, especially with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the charge.
In other Everton news, this is why we think one of the Toffees’ own should start every single week.