Blackpool vs Norwich prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-09-30 14:00.
Just one win in six games leaves Blackpool loitering in the lower echelons of the Championship table – a far from ideal start to life as Seasiders boss for Michael Appleton. There doesn't appear to be any immediate pressure on Appleton, but he will be acutely aware that he’ll need to find a win quickly to keep the Blackpool faithful on board, some of whom were disgruntled with his appointment to begin with.
Winless at Bloomfield Road in their last three Championship games (D1, L2), finding a victory at home against promotion-chasing Norwich appears somewhat far-fetched. However, if Blackpool are looking for a source of confidence then they have already taken four points from the two other sides they’ve faced so far who currently sit in the Championship top-four, claiming a 3-3 draw at Burnley and beating Reading 1-0 on home turf.
Norwich’s remarkable six-match winning league run came to a halt against West Brom prior to the international break, slumping to a 1-1 draw and prompting boss Dean Smith to admit he was “disappointed” with his side’s performance. A trip to the seaside could prove the perfect tonic for Smith’s side to return to winning ways, and considering Norwich completed a double over Blackpool the last time these sides shared a division, they should travel with confidence.
Ironically this exact fixture in 2014/15 fell just a few days prior, a game which Norwich won 3-1, before winning the reverse H2H 4-0. Smith’s only ever managerial encounter against Blackpool also saw him run out a 4-0 victor, but considering each of Norwich’s four Championship away games this season have been settled by just a single goal margin (W2, L2), a repeat seems unlikely.
Players to watch: Blackpool’s Charlie Patino scored for the Seasiders last time out against Millwall and also netted for England U20’s during the international break, both of which arrived before half-time. In contrast, Norwich’s Josh Sargent has seen four of his last five Championship goals arrive after the break, three of which were crucial in victory.
Hot stat: Referee David Coote has only awarded a card to both teams in one of his five officiated games this season.