The Blackburn Rovers forward has been on four yellow cars for a number of matches, knowing a fifth booking would trigger a one-match suspension. Lewis Travis and Hayden Carter have both been banned for the same reason this season.
The cut-off has now passed following Rovers’ 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, a game embroiled with controversy. Szmodics was speaking to the media in the absence of Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was sent off for his complaints at the Owls’ second goal
Replays showed Callum Paterson holding James Hill as Marvin Johnson drove into the box and blasted across the goalkeeper to make it 2-1. That was a pivotal moment in the game, changing the momentum from Rovers on top to Rovers on top after they had equalized
“I haven’t seen it but there is a ref, two linesman and a fourth official,” Szmodics said. “It’s hard to speak this early after a game, after a loss.
“I don’t want to get into trouble. The gaffer has got into trouble with it. It is tough at the minute you don’t know if you can speak to referees or not.
As captain, I’d like to think I can speak to them but I’m on four yellow cards and I can’t risk missing a game. I’ll let people look back on the goals and make their own decisions.
“It’s been on my mind, I’ve been carrying four yellow cards for six games now. I am in good form and enjoying my football so I can’t afford to make a stupid mistake or argue with an official over a goal and cost myself a game.
“I have kept quiet and it’s been in the back of my mind. I have tried to concentrate on the game.”
On the match itself, Szmodics felt Rovers were unfortunate to lose the game having held the momentum at 1-1. His header drew Blackburn level, his 14th of the season and it was Tomasson’s side pushing for the winner from that point.
However, the Johnson goal and a breakaway strike from Josh Windass secured the win for Danny Rohl’s side, who had the better of the first half but didn’t offer much threat after the interval until they scored in the 78th minute.
“I don’t think it was a 3-1 game; with the goal, we got back into it,” he added. “We’ll recover and try again.”
“You can’t give up after five minutes.” We began off well, but then they were injured, and perhaps due to a loss of attention, we turned off.
“We gave up an easy goal, and it’s been difficult to get back into it.” We had a few of chances in the first that we could have taken better, and I seized the shot.
At halftime, the gaffer stated that we were creating opportunities and that we needed to capitalize on them. We came back into it in the second half, but it wasn’t our day. I was convinced that if anyone could win it in the second half, it would be us.
“We started quickly, got the goal, and it was all on us.” We did, however, lose the game.”
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