Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted that his side were "not good enough" during their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Midlands rivals Aston Villa this evening.
The Championship leaders fell to their biggest defeat of the season at Villa Park as the hosts continued their own march towards promotion with a third consecutive victory.
Wolves have now seen their lead at the top of the table slashed to only three points following a run of only one win in their last five games, and Nuno acknowledged that his side are going through a "tough moment".
"We were not good enough, we were not focused enough. The first half was better but the second half, no. The whole game, we were not consistent, we were not solid and how we should be, and mistakes. The goals that we conceded from set pieces bothers me and I think we should look at that and make a good analysis like we always do. It is clearly poor defending from set pieces," he told the club's official website.
"These tough moments that we have, we have to organise our thoughts. The attitude was there, the boys tried and sometimes you do things that you can avoid. I'm not happy but a word to our fans: It's a long season, the supporters have been fantastic - this moment is tough for everybody and them, especially because it is a Midlands derby.
"We need them and Tuesday is the next step. Let's look at this game but let's focus also. It's very fast, it's a tough competition and on Tuesday we are back again with a game at home, the home factor is important in this competition. There were a lot of teams that played five games in a row at home, that means a lot in this competition and hopefully we can prove that home.
"At Molineux with our fans - show a better image and win the game - we need to win the game. This is the job we have to do, we have to do a better performance but firstly let's look at this game - it's a good moment to judge our character. The most important is the next game and when you lose, we will find solutions. The boys deserve the credit of knowing that days like this can happen but we have to step forward and bounce back immediately."
Wolves take on Reading at Molineux on Tuesday night.
