Jovon Makama’s brace sunk the in-form Saints, who arrived at Carrow Road looking to add to six wins in seven.

Recently-appointed Eckert was in no doubt Makama’s match-winner should have been disallowed for handball, but had no issue with City’s game management tactics in a fraught finale.

“I agree that we didn’t manage to create a lot towards the end of the game. I also think that Norwich has done that very well,” he said “To swap every single situation with a foul or then just put the ball into the corner. There is nothing to blame them for, that’s part of the game.

“In those moments, we definitely need to be better in the future, we should be chasing a game more to create more towards the end.

“We started the game quite well and we had more than one chance to go up. We know how important the first goal is.

“We didn’t manage to score. and we didn’t really have an excellent start to the second half. I think that the goals we concede are actually quite similar.

“That’s definitely something that we need to improve on. I think that we dealt with the first phase a little bit better than in the last game. It’s more balls off the second phase, and we just need to be clear on who stays in and who can go out. I think it’s a question of numbers in the box.

“Then it’s on how quickly we want to push the line. Again, I think that it’s definitely something that we can work on in the coming days.”

Eckert had no doubt Makama used his hand to divert Harry Darling’s knockdown past Gavin Bazunu.

“I watched it on a very small screen on the phone, but for me on that replay it seems like quite a clear handball,” he said. “It’s a big discussion always, the VAR. If I start on this topic, it would be a bit longer of an answer. I’m not a fan of those decisions taking a very long time.

“I think there are some decisions, especially when we’re talking about offside, if that is a quick decision, I think it might help the game actually.

“But I’m also a big fan of the referees taking decisions, and unfortunately that decision didn’t go in our favour. Maybe another game it does.”