David Moyes admitted Real Sociedad's 4-0 defeat to Villarreal 'could have been worse' but backed his players to respond.
The former Everton manager emphatically suffered his first loss in charge of the Basques on Sunday, but he insisted the attitude of his players ensured they were immune to any stinging criticism.
"It could have been worse. We committed serious errors, especially in defence," he lamented to assembled journalists after the match.
"We must recognise that Villarreal were been better than us and deserved to win.
"In the opening 20 minutes of the first half, we were better but it wasn't enough.
"We knew we were coming to a difficult venue and playing against strong opponents.
"The attitude was fantastic, the players worked hard. My biggest disappointment comes when we had the ball.
"We didn't keep it for long enough, and we failed to move the ball quickly enough.
"We're still analysing the team. It takes time to learn what we need for the winter market."
