Mick McCarthy believes his Cardiff City side looked "fragmented" after the international break and it led to a costly first-half performance against Nottingham Forest.
The Bluebirds fell behind to a James Garner goal just before the half-hour mark as the visitors took the initiative in the Welsh capital.
But Cardiff came out swinging in the second half, however were unable to create too many clear-cut chances and eventually succumbed to defeat.
It was that first 45 minutes that did the damage and McCarthy spoke of his disappointment at how his team laboured out of the traps.
"We just didn't have that bit of luck or bit of quality at the end to finish it," McCarthy said.
"It's ended up with a disappointing 1-0 defeat.
"I'm pleased with the reaction second half, I thought they were very good, but we needed to start that way and we didn't.
"But I have to give Forest some credit for that, there is a team on the pitch trying to stop us.
"Forest played well and we couldn't really get to grips with it, get closer to them to stop them.
"Maybe the fact we had been away, so many players, some have trained, some have not trained that much after international duty. And maybe it's just fragmented.
"I was saying beforehand, 'let's get up to the standard we've been', and we just didn't."
Although Cardiff comfortably had the lion's share of territory and chances in the second half, they were just off the pace for some reason.
That last pass or weight of cross just evaded them at the crucial moment and McCarthy admitted he and his players were all disappointed with the execution of the final ball.
"It would be fair to say that," McCarthy replied when asked if it had disappointed him. "[The players] are as well.
"We didn't have that many clear-cut chances. There were times we got into positions where one or two more passes could have created something.
"Even at the end, we get in behind them and the cross gets blocked at the near post. We cut inside it hits the first man.
"We didn't create enough. We had opportunities to create and we failed. I'm very disappointed."
Despite the defeat, other results meant that City remained in eighth place and, at the time of McCarthy's press conference, were still four points off the play-offs, with the result of Barnsley and Reading as yet unknown.
And the Bluebirds boss has insisted that this minor setback will not be enough to deter him from aiming for those top-six spots come the end of the season.
"I have just been told we are still four points behind and Barnsley and Reading are playing tonight," he said.
"I'd be supporting Barnsley anyway, unless they are the team we are chasing.
"If we can win on Monday and get back to winning ways, because that's what we'll have to do, then we will still be pecking away.
"I won't be giving it up."
