Eddie Howe says Bournemouth weren’t their “normal selves” in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Middlesbrough.
Goals from Gaston Ramirez and Stewart Downing ended the Cherries' six-game unbeaten run, and the south-coast club's manager was unimpressed with what he saw from his team.
"The performance could have been better from our perspective," Howe said. "I thought in most elements we weren't quite at our very best levels today: with the ball we didn't move it quickly - which is unlike us - and it was frustrating at times with our decision making around their box, and out of possession I don't think we were as aggressive as we have been of late with our pressing.
"We had our moments in the game, we certainly had our chances. It was just one of those days where it didn't look like it was going to go in. We hit the woodwork twice, but it wasn't quite our normal self and in this league you get punished if you're not quite right."
Ramirez ran from his own half to open the scoring for the hosts, breaking clear of some loose challenges on halfway and holding off the chasing blue-shirted midfielders before wrong-footing the covering defenders and slotting home. It was a stunning goal, from Middlesbrough's perspective, but Howe was not happy.
"There were a few bad decisions in that (first) goal. From their perspective they'll be pleased, but from ours … we're trying to score at their end and then a few seconds later we're conceding and it's all our fault."
The defeat halted Bournemouth's rise up the table, but their young manager urged his team to regroup and get back to winning ways quickly.
"We're wanting more, we know there's more to come," he said. "When you look at performances like today you know the team's not where it needs to be, so there's a lot of hard work ahead.
"Now we've got to try and build again, try and set higher standards than today's performance. We've got some important games to come."