Luke Williams says his Swansea City side were 'too timid' in their 4-0 hammering at the hands of Leeds United on Tuesday night.
Goals from Crysencio Summerville, Joel Piroe and a brace from Wilfried Gnonto were enough to hand the visitors victory at the Swansea.com Stadium, and the margin of victory might well have been more had Carl Rushworth not been on hand with several superb saves.
The result is Swansea's fifth defeat in six games in all competitions, and the performance was well out of step with some of the positive signs seen over the last few weeks, including the genuinely impressive win over Hull City on Saturday.
And Williams admits his team didn't do anywhere near enough to compete with a side that looks certain to be a part of the promotion conversation.
"It was a tough evening because we didn't compete properly," Williams said after the game. "We were too timid and you cannot play like that. You can't be so scared to press that you allow them time at the back of the pitch. If you allow them time they're too good. they're not going to give the ball away if they have that time space.
"So we caused ourselves huge problems. Then when we got in close contact, we didn't win enough. We didn't win enough tackles.
"We didn't get close to them. It's difficult enough when they move the ball brilliantly and they find the space and pass to each other brilliantly. But when you do get close you have to compete. If you look at the way they applied pressure to our back line, that's the difference. That's what top level looks like in the Championship.
"When we played Southampton, we were so deep we didn't get out of our box. The game's over before we've even laid a glove on Southampton. Then today we're higher, but we don't commit fully to it. They find the space behind and eventually the game is over again.
"So if we're going to try and compete with these top teams, we have to try and play the top model of football and that requires intensity, physicality, bravery. When we did take the ball in the early stages, we gave it away too quickly. You can't compete against Leeds United in the Championship playing like that.
"So we have to practice playing top level football."
The drop in intensity, which was there in abundance at the MKM Stadium, was one of the most noticeable takeaways from this defeat, and Williams has suggested this might have been a game too far for his team, whom he says still need time to get up to speed with his methods.
"The output in that game [at Hull] was the highest of the whole season," he added. "It's not something we're accustomed to at the moment. It's not because anyone's done anything wrong. It's because of how I want us to play.
"I don't want us to just be on the pitch making up the numbers. I want us to compete. When we played Hull, I don't think they are at the level of Leeds, but they're a very good side. We gave them almost nothing at all. We deserved to win, but it took a huge toll on the players because it's not something they're accustomed to. Then we have to go again and try an even better performance against a top side.
"That's just what we have to do."
