Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate insists he was pleased with his side despite going down 2-0 at Chelsea.
Boro have now gone 11 games without victory in the Premier League which now sees them entrenched in the relegation picture.
But Southgate was pleased with how his side frustrated Chelsea for nearly an hour at Stamford Bridge before Salomon Kalou struck twice to seal victory for the home side.
Southgate was disappointed to have been defeated courtesy of two set-pieces.
"We are disappointed, I think anything today would have been a bonus ball for us, for long periods we frustrated Chelsea and we defended really well as a team," he told Sky Sports.
"In the end we were undone by two set-plays, which given the quality of the opposition, it hurts to be beaten that way.
"I think you can't come here and be gung-ho, you will get picked off - you need to be solid and we kept the ball reasonably well at times but we can't get bodies forward.
"But they didn't pepper the goal with efforts and didn't over work our keeper and we were as comfortable as you can be somewhere like this so the manner of the two goals was particularly galling.
"There are very few occasions where we have been torn apart, the majority of our defeats have been by one goal and many we have been ahead and we have to learn lessons quickly.
"I am proud, there were some big performances throughout the team, particularly in our midfield - but it goes out the window because we switch off twice because of the harsh realities of this league and we have to learn."
Southgate admits Boro are keeping an eye on the transfer market and they again appear to have an interest in Reading's James Harper.
"We are monitoring a couple of situations," he said.
"If we can [buy] it will give everyone a lift because of the fresh faces, but the squad we have we are getting important players back in and we knew ten weeks ago we were in mid-table looking up, so we have to deal with this situation and obviously the next few games are important."
The Boro boss is also delighted with the continued support he is getting from chairman Steve Gibson.
"It allows you to carry on and keep planning for the future and not worry what is going externally, but within it we are very strong and we know what we need to do and what has to happen," he said.
Boro face Blackburn on Saturday in a hugely important clash and he admits the club need a win.
"The trouble with saying any game is must win, you have nowhere to go if you don't - we know how important it is and we need to get back on the winning trail and it is a critical game," he concluded.
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