'There is no tax on dreaming' - Swans boss Matos
Vitor Matos' Swansea have won eight of their past 13 league games
- Published
Vitor Matos has told fans to dream and players to focus as Swansea City look to continue their upturn in fortunes at Derby County on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
Swansea have taken 25 points from their past 13 games, the best return of any side in the Championship other than leaders Middlesbrough since the beginning of December.
The improvement in form has led to discussion among fans about the chances of a play-off push, with Swansea only five points adrift of sixth-place Wrexham after last weekend'sthrashing of Sheffield Wednesday.
Matos says top-six talk among supporters is a "positive", but insists there will be no such chat within Swansea's dressing room.
"I think there's no tax on dreaming so that's good to do," said the Swansea head coach.
"That's something the fans absolutely can do because it's part of football.
"But it's a different way [for us]. We need to look to ourselves, look at what we need to improve and we need to be stable emotionally as well, to understand the Championship is really close."
Swansea travel to take on 11th-placed Derby in upbeat mood having won three of their past four games.
Swansea's win over Sheffield Wednesday was an eighth victory in their past 13 league games
The Rams won 2-1 at Swansea.com Stadium in November in Matos' first game in charge of the Welsh club.
Four days later, after being beaten 3-2 at West Bromwich despite going 2-0 in front, Swansea were only outside the bottom three on goal difference and looked in serious relegation danger.
But Matos has rejuvenated a squad, who were underperforming in the latter days of Alan Sheehan's reign, with the gap to the drop zone currently standing at 10 points.
While there is still work to do to wipe out any chance of relegation, Swansea fans are – for the moment at least - looking up the table rather than down.
Matos claims he is not interested in Swansea's league position, with all attention for now on a Derby side who are also in good form.
"We don't play the table, we play the games and thankfully it's one at each time, that helps a lot!" Matos added.
"It's up to us to focus on our training because always when you put 50% in you get 50% out.
"If you put 100% you take 100% out. That's what I want to focus on and that's where I know the players are focusing."
Matos believes Swansea have "become different" sincethe Derby home fixture, when Ethan Galbraith's late goal came too late to deny John Eustace's side a sixth win in seven matches.
But he says Saturday's opponents have also improved, adding: "Derby is a really good team, strong physical-wise, really well organised defending.
"They really know how to hurt the opposition teams in different kinds of ways - quick attacks, counter set-pieces, crosses. We know we need to be on our best to go there."
