Derek McInnes believes perspective is required following Heart of Midlothian's 0-0 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park.
The Hearts boss spoke of his delight at coming into the game with the chance to go seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but admitted his side were not worthy of the three points.
The visitors were left to be grateful for Alexander Schwolow. The German goalkeeper produced three saves in the second half to ensure the Jam Tarts didn't lose.
Assessment of the game
He said: "I thought the second half was far better. I thought the first half hour of the second half was really strong. We had some good moments. We took a step forward and pressed well. I thought in the first half we tried to fill the midfield. We were really strong with the work. I thought we tried to stop Motherwell getting into any sort of rhythm.
"The keepers didn't really have a lot to do. I know they had the goal chopped off, but rightly it was offside. On counter-attacks, we were really good. When we did switch the play and moved the ball a bit quicker and our strikers linked the play, I thought we arrived outside the box with a good few opportunities. We weren't on point enough with that.
"We spoke at half-time about more belief in our work, more belief to step into the game and play and everybody take part. I thought we switched the play brilliantly in the second half. I thought we had some good moments. We really stifled Motherwell in terms of they didn't really have any rhythm. I thought the game was there to be won. Obviously, Lawrence [Shankland] gets the one saved off the line, probably at the height of that.
"But in the last 15 minutes, we took a step back again. Whether it was the changes, disrupting our fluency. We've got Alex to thank for her point.
"If anybody looked as if they were going to win it, it was Motherwell in the end. I thought Motherwell finished the game a bit stronger than us, which was disappointing. A lovely bit of skill from the wee boy, [Elijah] Just.
"We get our point. I thought we were good enough for our point. I didn't think we were good enough to get three points and that's disappointing.
"Our attacking threat has had loads of plaudits, loads of praise and rightly so, both individually and as a team. It hasn't quite been there. In that sense, a point on the road at Motherwell in isolation, a clean sheet, isn't the worst result as long as you win your home games.
"But in the context of not winning at Aberdeen, drawing with United, I think it just feels a bit more disappointing as a consequence of that."
A big frustration for McInnes was the way the team finished the game.
"I think maybe the last part of the game, where we're hoping we crank it up and ask the question of Motherwell, I actually thought it was the opposite. That's partly what disappoints me. I don't think the players do it consciously," he noted.
"But it certainly felt that way when we needed to crank it up that last part of the game. We've got Kabore coming on, we've got him lively, he looks hungry and we don't play up to him. We don't engage with him. We go round the houses, we stop switching the play, we take a wee bit of a step back. And that was the part that annoyed me a wee bit more than anything.
"But listen, it's a point on the road. It's one defeat in 14. We came with a big support, with a lot of expectation. It's our fault that the expectation has risen and we're alright with that. But there's also got to be a realisation from us that we need to be better than we were the day to win a game at Motherwell."
Perspective
McInnes has set his sights on winning against Kilmarnock on Wednesday ahead of a trip to Celtic Park.
"We're trying to get a bit of perspective in the sense that everybody was getting a bit excited and rightly so. I get that at the start. But other than maybe two or three games, every game was hard-fought to win.
"We don't think we can come here and we're this and that to win a game of football against an in-form team. I think a lot of people leading into this game would have maybe anticipated Motherwell beating us today. Like I say, I thought we were good enough for our point and we get our clean sheet."
He said: "I'm delighted that even ahead of the game we had a chance to go seven points clear. Even saying that as a Hearts manager, and you're nearing the end of December, a chance to go seven points clear. There has to be some sort of perspective. These boys are human, they work hard. They care for the club.
"We try and get results. So there's no real criticism from me. There are certain things that I thought we could have done better today. And there's a bit of frustration towards that. But we're doing alright. We've got a good thing going here at the club at the minute.
"And it's important we just, as I say, hopefully try and win a game of football on Wednesday. If we can do that, then we get into next weekend's game in a decent place, in a good position in the league."
Beni absence
Hearts have been without Beni Baningime for the last few games and will have to make do without him for the next few games.
He has been missed.
"We're trying to find the right solutions through the middle of the pitch without Ageu and Baningame. Baningame has been a tough one to replace."
McInnes explained why his presence has been missed with one word: "Control".
"Control with tempo. He controls. He can pass, as we know. He looks after the ball. He is very defensive-minded as well. He can snuff out attacks. So you get a bit of both. As a centre-midfield player, you get good ball retention, good experience. Can play in tight areas. And protects a back lot. I think he does it brilliantly," said McInnes.
"There's things he doesn't do, in terms of getting goals and breaking into the box and running beyond and passing forward enough. We all know that. But what we get from Beni is that sort of control.
"We've controlled a lot more games in the run we were on. And I actually thought today at possession, we kind of stopped Motherwell's flow a wee bit. I've seen them here the other night and the way they connected the game and the rhythm that they had. I felt quite comfortable in that sense. I was just a bit annoyed at half-time that we never took part in the game enough. And really did what we wanted to do. And I thought we did that a lot better second half. That was it."
