Sammie Szmodics M Blackburn Rovers b.1995

**pineapple stu** · 13/04/2024, 1:32 PM

Nobody wants to win that division it seems. None of the top eight has more than one win in their last three games.

**tetsujin1979** · 13/04/2024, 1:41 PM

Can't decide if none of them want automatic promotion, or if they really, really want to be in the play offs

**SkStu** · 13/04/2024, 2:00 PM

Had to come into work today so missed the last 15 minutes - is that 30 goals now for an Irish striker?? Incredible haul. Is there a chance that he gets picked up by a Premier League team this summer or is he at his level now?

**JR89** · 13/04/2024, 2:10 PM

Yup his 30th of the season and first Blackburn player to reach 30 since Shearer in 95/96.

**Diggs246** · 13/04/2024, 2:31 PM

Surely he will be bought

I thought Brentford and Fulham were interested

It's literally impossible to know if he works out at premier level.

**SkStu** · 13/04/2024, 2:41 PM

Originally Posted by Diggs246

Surely he will be bought

I thought Brentford and Fulham were interested

It's literally impossible to know if he works out at premier level.

Its funny - i was going to say he should go to a Fulham or Bournemouth where there is a bit of club stability within the Premier League context. I think that would be to his benefit as opposed to going up with a promoted club or a premier league club that is annually struggling to stay above relegation.

I do wonder about him the same way Diggs... there is a chance he goes the way of Teemu Pukki, Dwight Gayle or others of that ilk - absolutely tears it up in the Championship but struggles with the step up to the Premier League level...

**pineapple stu** · 13/04/2024, 2:47 PM

Originally Posted by JR89

Yup his 30th of the season and first Blackburn player to reach 30 since Shearer in 95/96.

That's a great little stat.

Who was the last Irish player to manage it? Simon Cox got 32 in the third tier; anyone since then? Will Keane got 27 with Wigan in League One and David Connolly got 29 in the Dutch second tier. But if we exclude lower levels than Sammie, how far back are we going? Robbie Keane's most was 25 with LA Galaxy. Long got 25 in the Championship. I'm struggling on this one even with Google. It's hardly John Aldridge (31 in 1988/89) is it?

**Eirambler** · 13/04/2024, 4:20 PM

Worth noting that Szmodics 30 are across all competitions, he's on 24 in the league. Daryl Murphy scored 27 in the Championship in the 2014/15 season.

Another thing I noticed was that there were 15 Irish goals scored across the four English divisions, the SPL and the Eredivisie last night and today. 14 of the 15 were scored by players born 1998 or later, the former "Kenny's Kids" generation so to speak. Szmodics' was the only goal scored by a player older than that generation, i.e. aged 26 or over. Just another example of the gap we're still having to plug with the lack of Irish players that came through for a number of years before the 1998s and later groups emerged.

**tetsujin1979** · 13/04/2024, 5:48 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

That's a great little stat.

Who was the last Irish player to manage it? Simon Cox got 32 in the third tier; anyone since then? Will Keane got 27 with Wigan in League One and David Connolly got 29 in the Dutch second tier. But if we exclude lower levels than Sammie, how far back are we going? Robbie Keane's most was 25 with LA Galaxy. Long got 25 in the Championship. I'm struggling on this one even with Google. It's hardly John Aldridge (31 in 1988/89) is it?

It might be Aldridge, the best I can find is Eoin Doyle, who had 30 in 2014/15, split between 25 in League One with Chesterfield, and 5 in the Championship with Cardiff, he also managed 25 with Swindon in League Two in 2019/20
Adam Rooney had 28 in 2014/15 for Aberdeen, split across the SPL(18), Scottish Cup(4), and Europa League(6)

**Stuttgart88** · 13/04/2024, 8:43 PM

Originally Posted by Diggs246

Surely he will be bought

I thought Brentford and Fulham were interested

It's literally impossible to know if he works out at premier level.

Unless he plays at premier level…

**joey B** · 14/04/2024, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by Diggs246

Surely he will be bought

I thought Brentford and Fulham were interested

It's literally impossible to know if he works out at premier level.

I think Everton would be a good destination,crying out for a goalscorer and will looking to move on players in the summer,could definitely see him getting a decent chance there even if they’re pretty unstable at the minute….

**Jolly Red Giant** · 14/04/2024, 9:37 AM

I think Szmodics could do a really good job for a lower half PL team. I'd be surprised if someone like Brentford or Everton didn't make a move for him.

**Eirambler** · 14/04/2024, 10:26 AM

Someone almost definitely will. If he was even two years younger there would be a queue for his services. And possibly not just at club level.

**pineapple stu** · 15/04/2024, 7:50 AM

Makes the Championship team of the season, in a surprise to pretty much no-one I'd say.

Dewsbury-Hall there as well, though I don't know have we worked out if he's interested or just eligible?

**Fixer82** · 15/04/2024, 8:04 AM

Should be player of the season. 30 goals for an average team is some going

**Jolly Red Giant** · 15/04/2024, 4:16 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Dewsbury-Hall there as well, though I don't know have we worked out if he's interested or just eligible?

I think an agent and Leicester will be doing to best to knock any interest on the head - far more money to be made as an English player.

**Diggs246** · 15/04/2024, 4:20 PM

Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant

I think an agent and Leicester will be doing to best to knock any interest on the head - far more money to be made as an English player.

True but he is surely miles away from England. He's still a second tier player
Now is the time for Steve bruce! to approach him

**JR89** · 15/04/2024, 6:31 PM

Is Dewsbury-Hall even eligible. When you search Dewsbury-Hall Ireland on Ireland you find about five tweets talking about it from last year. Surely we would have heard from more reliable people if he's actually eligible by now.

**CraftyToePoke** · 15/04/2024, 7:41 PM

Originally Posted by JR89

Is Dewsbury-Hall even eligible. When you search Dewsbury-Hall Ireland on Ireland you find about five tweets talking about it from last year. Surely we would have heard from more reliable people if he's actually eligible by now.

I quoted The42 article which said he was eligible on here about a month ago. Gavin Cooney one IIRC.