Avram Grant was disappointed in defeat on Saturday evening but no less determined to lead West Ham United to Barclays Premier League safety.
An emphatic 3-0 loss for the Hammers at the hands of Bolton Wanderers was set after just 20 minutes at the Reebok Stadium, with early goals from a rampant Daniel Sturridge and Lee Chung-yong stunning the loyal travelling support.
Grant, who was forced to watch the match from the stands after starting a two-game FA ban, had made three changes to his side, installing James Tomkins at right-back for Lars Jacobsen, and fielding Robbie Keane and Freddie Piquionne in attack for Gary O'Neil and Carlton Cole. However, it was the home side who had the upper hand from the off against the manager's 4-3-3 formation.
But for Robert Green, the Trotters could have taken a more significant advantage into the interval but once Sturridge was able to add to his tally six minutes into the second half, the match was lost.
Demba Ba had the Hammers' best moments, hitting the post with a long-ranger and seeing Jussi Jaaskelainen save brilliantly from his header but it was too little, too late. The manager has already turned his attention to what is now a possibly pivotal game at home to Aston Villa next weekend.
Grant said: "We started the game OK but then they scored the first goal and got the better of us before scoring another one after that. Bolton dominated the first half and played very well.
"We started well in the second half but then they scored again and it became very difficult for us. We created a lot of chances but we didn't score. It was one of those days, when nothing goes how you want it to."
Bolton are riding high in the league and also looking forward to an FA Cup semi-final next weekend, and the manager admitted their fluid play owed much to their feelgood factor.
"Bolton are not in the relegation zone and they're not at the top either and they were quite free to try to play football with a lot of good players. They had nothing to lose. "We wanted to play differently but it was one of those days when everything went against us."
Grant lost Matthew Upson at half-time and had to substitute Scott Parker in the closing stages, with both nursing aching legs. Upson had also suffered a nasty cut in the first half, and his departure led to Tomkins switching to the centre and Jacobsen entering the fray along Cole at half-time. Things did improve after the break, with Keane especially thriving at the point of a diamond midfield in a 4-4-2.
"Even if it didn't look like it out on the pitch at times, the commitment was there it was just that everything that we were trying was not working. We had chances but we didn't score, yet Bolton did get goals from their opportunities. It was one of those days but I don't have a problem with their commitment.
"I need to see the game again but it's a fact that we didn't play good. We started well but their first goal affected us. We were down and we let them control the game. We lost almost every battle in the first half. That was the key. We gave the ball away so many times and we have to pass the ball with more quality.
"I still believe that we can stay in the league. What you saw in the first half today is not something that you see every day in our team. It was an exception."