Steve Cooper has admitted the flair factor went missing at Swansea City as he suffered his first defeat as manager.
The Swans remain top of the Championship, but their previously unblemished record now has a figure in the loss column after Nottingham Forest deservedly won 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium.
Cooper’s side had won six successive games in all competitions and scored 19 goals in thrilling fashion in doing so going into the game, but did an impressive job of disguising the fact.
They were listless and lacked fluency and when Alfa Semedo scored the only goal of the game in the 85th minute, there was no coming back.
Cooper offered no excuses, but the international break – even though it only took three players away from the starting eleven – seemed to have disturbed the home side’s rhythm.
“I think we had issues at the top end of the pitch,” said Cooper, who had picked up the August manager of the month award earlier this week.
“I think we had enough possession and good positions, but on the day we lacked a little bit of creativity, a little bit of risk-taking and a little bit of confidence to go and make a difference up there.”
“I don’t think we did enough to win the game that’s for sure, and that’s probably the most frustrating bit.
“We made a mistake and conceded an awful goal really. I am not sure we deserved to lose, but the main focus is that we did not do enough to win the game, which was the goal today.
“We have to carry on with our work, it’s not happened too often since I have come in.
“That was the case here but we stick to the plan, we get our heads down and get ready for the next one. We analyse the game, compare to how we want to play and stick to the plan of how we work.
“Through highs and lows that’s what we will do.
“Bouncing back is the only option. We are not going to cry, we are disappointed as we should be. But we have to get over it and get back to work.”
The goal came when Lewis Grabban, a thorn in Swansea’s side throughout, broke down the right flank and shook off the attention of Matt Grimes to roll the ball into Semedo’s path and he made no mistake from six yards.
It was no less than Forest deserved against a Swansea side, who stay top of the Championship but would have secured their best ever start to a season with a sixth win from seven games.
Forest are now unbeaten in eight games in all competitions and up to 12th in the table after just one league defeat on the opening day.
Grabban had already struck the bar and lifted the ball over keeper Freddie Woodman, only to be denied by a flag for offside, before half-time.
The former Bournemouth striker then made the decisive break late on when he surged away on a lightning fast break, which will infuriate Swansea all the more since it originated from their own corner.