Sammie Szmodics M Blackburn Rovers b.1995

**seanfhear** · 19/03/2023, 7:51 PM

Originally Posted by Trequartista20

If you were to canvas the opinion all 24 managers in the Championship, I wonder just how many would judge Jamie McGrath, a player deemed surplus to requirements by the league's worst team, couldn't make match day squads even when Wigan were in League One and is now playing for the worst side in the Scottish Premiership, as a better option than all of Szmodics, Azaz, and Hodge.

It seems a bit bizarre alright.

**SkStu** · 19/03/2023, 8:09 PM

I referred to it as a head shaker. I don’t get it but as some say Kenny knows what he’ll get from him.

**joey B** · 23/04/2023, 8:25 PM

Shocking display of shamelessness from him on Saturday

**Demesne Lad** · 24/04/2023, 12:05 PM

If he does appear for the BIG and repeats that kind of behaviour, he should be dropped - permanently. We can't continue to complain about Thierry Henry's cheating handball and condone similar behaviour by any Irish player.

**Diggs246** · 24/04/2023, 12:47 PM

[QUOTE=Demesne Lad;2146014]If he does appear for the BIG and repeats that kind of behaviour, he should be dropped - permanently. We can't continue to complain about Thierry Henry's cheating handball and condone similar behaviour by any Irish player.[/QUOTE

Permanently is a bit much
But your right. Cheating is cheating. No difference between a dive in the box and that

**texidub** · 24/04/2023, 2:27 PM

Thierry Henry, Diego Maradona, Sammy Szmodics. All geniuses have flaws.

**Stuttgart88** · 25/04/2023, 7:24 AM

Good piece in the i newspapere this morning:

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/b...layers-2294581

He's right. Trying to cheat is one thing, indignantly protesting you've done nothing wrong is far worse.

**Eirambler** · 25/04/2023, 8:30 AM

In a game where there was no VAR involvement he did absolutely the right thing. Had there been VAR it would have been stupid and pointless but in that situation it was well worth a shot.

**Stuttgart88** · 25/04/2023, 9:05 AM

Speaking of VAR, did anyone see the penalty Luton were awarded against Middlesboro last night?

**pineapple stu** · 25/04/2023, 9:52 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

In a game where there was no VAR involvement he did absolutely the right thing. Had there been VAR it would have been stupid and pointless but in that situation it was well worth a shot.

I can't agree with that at all. Unless you say Henry or Maradona did "absolutely the right thing" because there was no VAR then either.

**Stuttgart88** · 25/04/2023, 11:45 AM

Well, Maradona very definitely did the right thing

**joey B** · 25/04/2023, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Speaking of VAR, did anyone see the penalty Luton were awarded against Middlesboro last night?

Yes,shocking decision….

**Eirambler** · 25/04/2023, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I can't agree with that at all. Unless you say Henry or Maradona did "absolutely the right thing" because there was no VAR then either.

They did the right thing for their teams. Obviously we hated the Henry one, but if it was Robbie Keane that had done it up the other end we wouldn't have been complaining. Really it's all about winning, and we haven't been doing anywhere near enough of that in recent years. Having VAR at international level now does reduce the likelihood of this kind of thing being successful however.

**sadloserkid** · 25/04/2023, 4:07 PM

Sincere question eirambler - would this "it's all about winning" extend to Lance Armstrong, for example, or Tonya Harding? Would you say they would have been right only for the foolishness of getting caught?

My own view, for the sake of openness, is that Szmodics openly cheated and there should be some sort of retroactive sanction in place to deal with that. Not particularly for Szmodics individually but there has to be a strong push to censure cheating surely? Even a one game ban would potentially cost a lot for a Blackburn team trying hard to get back into the playoff places.

**Eirambler** · 25/04/2023, 4:58 PM

I suppose the difference between Szmodics and Lance Armstrong is that, as you say, Szmodics openly cheated on the field in the game and it's up to the officials to see it and take action as appropriate, which they did by disallowing the goal. I wouldn't see what Szmodics did as being any different to, say, Damien Duff going down very easily for a penalty under minimal if any contact - which he did more than once in his career.

Taking PEDs behind closed doors, as Armstrong did, is completely different in my view. I don't think that is comparable at all to an on-field action. What Szmodics did would be more like if Armstrong tried to take a short cut in a cycling race, or something like that. An on-field act for the officials to deal with as appropriate.

**sadloserkid** · 25/04/2023, 5:24 PM

Yeah, cheers for the clarification, was curious. I also think Armstrong is 'worse' than Szmodics but I'd be quite comfortable with punishments after the game too. The problem, particularly with diving, would be proving intent a lot of the time.

**pineapple stu** · 25/04/2023, 9:20 PM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

They did the right thing for their teams. Obviously we hated the Henry one, but if it was Robbie Keane that had done it up the other end we wouldn't have been complaining. Really it's all about winning, and we haven't been doing anywhere near enough of that in recent years. Having VAR at international level now does reduce the likelihood of this kind of thing being successful however.

Still can't agree. "It's ok so long as you don't get caught"? Nuts to that.

Maybe I play/watch too much snooker and chess, where sportsmanship is very much a thing still. But I can't agree with defending open cheating - and his reaction to it - like you are.

There's more to life than winning. Not being a ***** would be ahead of it for me, and he's was being a ***** in that clip

**Eminence Grise** · 25/04/2023, 9:40 PM

Totally agree, PS. I used to fence in college and when the action is timed down to 1/25 of a second, even the best president (ref!) needs a fencer to call a hit on himself now and again. It was just something you did. With that culture, over time, the calls balanced out and there was less incentive to cheat. I don't think anyone on my team ever had any interest in winning dirty.

**Demesne Lad** · 25/04/2023, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Still can't agree. "It's ok so long as you don't get caught"? Nuts to that.

Maybe I play/watch too much snooker and chess, where sportsmanship is very much a thing still. But I can't agree with defending open cheating - and his reaction to it - like you are.

There's more to life than winning. Not being a ***** would be ahead of it for me, and he's was being a ***** in that clip

Hear, hear! I'm not interested in supporting any team or individual whose ethos is just 'don't get caught'.

**Eirambler** · 26/04/2023, 9:03 AM

That's great in snooker or golf, where there is a kind of self-enforced culture of honesty and players know they'll get a reputation if they don't play by the rules.

That doesn't exist in football, players are expected to do their best for the team, even if that means crossing certain ethical lines on the field. Supporters and pundits regularly criticise players for not going down if there's even the slightest hint of contact in the box, for instance.

I think, if you choose to follow football and support a team, or your country, you have to accept that as part of the game. Once you go out on the field it's win at all costs whether we like it or not. That may seem unfair, but it is what it is. As a country of 5 million people where there are four popular team sports competing for a limited playing pool, we're already fighting the odds against most teams. In that case, I'll always prefer something that's unfair in our favour and when that happens I'll leave the ethical dilemmas to someone else.