Graham Potter has told his Swansea City players they must deliver more consistency if they are going to compete with the best teams in the Championship.
The Swans lost 1-0 at leaders Norwich on Friday night – a result that keeps them seven points adrift of the play-offs – but both managers handed out most of their praise to the losers.
In Daniel Farke’s case that may have been a tactical decision, designed in part to deflect from a sub-standard display from his title favourites who had to rely on a single, magnificent goal by Emiliano Buendia.
But Potter’s verdict was tempered with a realisation that his young side must learn to maintain their performance levels from week to week, rather than worry the leaders one day and fade away against mid-table opponents the next.
“I think it was a really good performance from us,” said Potter.
“I really enjoyed the personality, the effort the players put in, the quality as well. I think it was a good game, it was two good teams, but…a bit of quality has outdone us and that’s what happens when you are top of the league.
“That the challenge for us to do that [challenge title-chasing sides] and do it on a consistent level. Our performances has been improving over the season, we just haven’t managed to get the consistent level of results that you need, but you can see what we are trying to do, the effort and the quality of the players – we’re just going to keep working.”
Buendia scored the deciding strike in superb fashion after 54 minutes, striking a left-footed thunderbolt that left visiting goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt with no chance.
The victory moved them five points clear and increases the pressure on the Canaries’ closest rivals Leeds and Sheffield United ahead of the weekend’s action, while Swansea remain seven points adrift of the top six with 11 games remaining.
Farke said: “I don’t look too far ahead – it was an unbelievably complicated game. Swansea were fantastic, for me, in terms of their possession, structure, their build-up, how they were able to bypass our pressing. They were the best side we’ve played in recent months.
“It [Buendia’s goal] was a sign of quality and class. I was pretty pleased with the build-up to the goal; Onel Hernandez with a great move and waited for the right moment to make the pass. It was necessary for Emi Buendia to add a goal today because in the last games he was just there with assists.”
Inside the first 10 minutes, Swans forward Daniel James had twice tested Tim Krul as the visitors aggressively took the game to their hosts, but though Norwich struggled to move out of first gear, it was they who posted the better chances.
Tom Trybull found Onel Hernandez on the left flank, but his square ball across the six-yard box went unchallenged and seconds later, Teemu Pukki broke free of his marker and sent a low shot beyond the far post.
There was a flicker of fight from the hosts after the break, but Krul was almost left red-faced after a poor touch on a back-pass created chance for the energetic James, though the Dutchman quickly recovered his composure.
Fortunately for him, the mistake was hastily erased from memory. At the other end, Hernandez held the ball up inside the 18-yard box, drew the Swans backline away from Buendia and cut the ball back for his team-mate, who took a great touch and blasted a superb strike into the back of the net.
The sense of anxiety around Carrow Road was evident in the closing period of the game, with Mike van der Hoorn heading a corner over the bar, but Pukki – who is just one goal away from becoming the first Canaries player to reach 25 goals since Chris Sutton in 1993 – hit the post with the final chance of an hard-fought victory.