Swansea boss Vitor Matos bemoans his side’s inconsistent performances

Swans’ boss Vitor Matos admitted his team lack consistency after his side’s 2-1 home loss to Southampton.

That makes it one win and three defeats in their last six matches.

“The details make the difference, small things make the difference, and that’s something that we need to learn when we want to compete against these kinds of teams,” said Matos.

“I think we showed that we can compete and then it’s about consistency.

“That consistency is what we still lack and we need to try to find it.

“I think we matched the form team in the Championship in most areas, but the most important thing is that everyone keeps believing and everyone keeps fighting for our identity.

“Because that’s what will, in the end, in the future, for sure, make us a better team and it put us in a better place.”

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert insisted he was not interested in club records after his team continued their promotion surge with a seventh successive league victory.

The win at Swansea gave them their best run in the league since 1908, while their eight victories in a row in all competitions is their best streak since 1897.

Southampton are also now unbeaten in 16 league matches, but German boss Eckert is more concerned with continuing their climb up the table, with the automatic promotion places firmly in their sights.

Fourth-placed Southampton, who clinched their latest victory thanks to a 90th-minute winner from substitute Cameron Archer, are now within a single point of second-placed Millwall and level with Ipswich, in third, who have two matches in hand.

“For me, it’s not the time for any big reflections,” said 33-year-old Eckert.

“The records are a nice side fact, but it doesn’t take us anywhere.

“I think you saw a team full of desire and belief to win a game and then the way to win it is always different.

“A big credit to Swansea for making that game so hard for us because it’s not easy to come here.

“We still have big goals to play for the season, so I think we’re doing good in the way that we always have that sense of humility.

“We need to put that game to bed tonight and then we have a big one coming up on Tuesday against Bristol City.”

Eckert also had plenty of praise for his goal-scoring substitutes, Archer and Shea Charles, whose 57th-minute header cancelled out Marko Stamenic’s 20th-minute opener for Swansea.

“I think that Shea is maturing a lot at the very moment and it’s nice to see,” he said. “I think he’s in the middle of a very, very good development.

“And you see the trajectory of Cameron Archer is on. He has taken confidence and momentum from recent games and gone up a level.”