Ipswich Town star Sammie Szmodics admits the pressure is on for the Blues in the Championship this season – and he absolutely loves it.
Town remain the favourites to win the second tier, and have put together back-to-back wins for the first time in a year and a half as they bid to climb the table after a spluttering start.
And Szmodics, who has also starred for Peterborough and Blackburn in the Championship, says he relishes being a target for other sides.
“I’ve always been in that position where I’m fighting for wins (with other teams),” he explained.
“But everyone wants to come to Portman Road and beat us now, we’re everyone’s final now.
“And the pressure is brilliant. A player like myself, I love it. I love teams wanting to come and beat us.
“We’ve got top, top quality players in this team and the Championship is relentless, everyone beats everyone, so to get two wins (in a row) is massive for us – and hopefully we can go on a bit of a run now.”
Town bid to make it three wins on the bounce at Bristol City tonight (7.45pm). It’s a return to the Robins for Szmodics, who struggled there back in 2019/20, having signed from Colchester United.
After being a star at the U’s, he played just four games for the Robins – with only one start in the league – and failed to score, before departing for a much more successful period at Posh.
“It’s mixed emotions there,” he admitted. “I’ve got a really good relationship with the fans there and it’s a really good club.
“I obviously felt like I should have played more there, which I didn’t. That’s football, these things happen, and I’m looking forward to getting back there.”
Szmodics continued: “It was difficult. It was where I worked under Mark Ashton, and it’s nice to reunite with him here.
“He’s a top man and put belief in me again to come here, so I respect him for that.
“Bristol was one of those where I felt like I should be playing, I felt like I should have played at a young age, stepping up from League Two to the Championship – I felt like I should have been given an opportunity and I wasn’t.
“But everything happens for a reason, and I’ve now played in the Premier League and am at a top Championship team – and will hopefully get back to the Premier League one day.”
Could Town bounce straight back up this season?
“Yeah, that’s the goal,” Szmodics insisted. “Confidence-wise in the team, looking at the squad, you’ve got Premier League quality and it’s just about getting our time right now and linking.
“It’s coming together, two wins on the bounce, and we just have to push on the gas and keep going.”
Szmodics has yet to score for Town this season, having bagged 27 – and the Golden Boot – last time he played in the Championship with Blackburn.
So is he saving that first strike for Sunday’s huge East Anglian derby game with old rivals Norwich City?
“It would be nice!” Szmodics laughed. “With me it’s a case of just keep getting myself in those positions.
“If I wasn’t doing that there would be a problem. People know that I don’t care about missing chances, I know a goal will come.
“I don’t put too much pressure on myself. If it comes on Tuesday night, amazing – but if it’s saved for the Norwich game, that would be amazing too!”
Of the derby, he continued: “Of course we’re looking forward to that, but we’ve got a big game Tuesday night that we need to focus on.
“That game speaks for itself. I don’t need to put any words out there about the derby. We’ve got a tough game at Bristol City on Tuesday that we need to recover and prepare for.”
