Metz coach Albert Cartier has called for his side to show greater consistency as they prepare to visit Ligue 1 leaders Lyon on Sunday.
Cartier's men sit 17th in Ligue 1 and are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference following a run of just one win in their last 13 league games.
Last season's Ligue 2 champions threw away a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 at home to Montpellier last Saturday, much to Cartier's frustration.
"We were fortunate to be leading at half-time and this was our worst home display of the season," Cartier said.
"We weren't aggressive enough in defence and watched their good players play in a passive fashion.
"We didn't have enough going forward either. We need to put a run together of good displays, not just play well from time to time as we did at Nantes [in a goalless draw] in the previous game."
The visitors will need to show a vast improvement to take all three points at Stade de Gerland when they face a Lyon team that has won six straight league games and have already scored 45 goals in the French top flight this term.
Saint-Etienne beat Lyon 3-0 prior to their winning run, and Christophe Galtier's side can boost their title aspirations with victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
PSG are four points adrift of Lyon in third, one point ahead of Saint-Etienne, and were unconvincing in a 4-2 success over Evian at the weekend following a 1-0 Coupe de la Ligue win at Saint-Etienne last Tuesday.
Second-placed Marseille can return to the top of the table by beating a Nice side looking for their third consecutive triumph in Friday's Mediterranean derby.
In-form Monaco and Montpellier will aim to strengthen their respective pushes for a top-four berth with wins over Lille and Nantes, while Caen travel to Rennes on Sunday hoping to build on their fine 4-1 success against Reims and move off the bottom.
