Assistant manager Stuart Taylor admitted the Blues’ performance first half performance wasn’t good enough as they were beaten 3-2 at home by Swindon but felt Town improved after the break.
Taylor was in charge in the dugout and of media duties with manager Paul Lambert having been unwell with Covid and watching from a box but in touch with the bench during the match.
"It wasn’t good enough overall, the way we started the first half wasn’t good enough,” Taylor said. "Almost unrecognisable in terms of how we want to go and play, what we look for in training during the week. We just didn’t start the first half like that and you can’t do that, no team can do that.
"I thought in the second half we did better, the last half hour, 20 minutes, we were very good and it was more like us.
"The lads were more like themselves, there was a purpose about their play and an intensity about it but we need to realise, well, we do realise, that that’s the way we need to start games.”
Asked whether the outbreak of Covid in the camp and the resultant lack of a game for 25 days had had an impact, Taylor said: "It obviously has an influence but we’re not going to use it as an excuse.
"They’re facts and certainly there were a lot of tired bodies out there, but certainly we’re not going to look at some excuse because we’re big enough and brave enough to take it on the chin when we don’t do well, and we didn’t do well in the first half, but the second half was better.
"And another positive was obviously Flynn playing the second half and Norwood playing the second half, so we’ve got them back fit.
"You can see how influential the both of them are. We were a lot better in the second half. They’re influential characters, they need to keep fit now and obviously the other five [Teddy Bishop, Gwion Edwards, Jon Nolan, Keanan Bennetts and Kane Vincent-Young, who are all due back in full training on Monday] we need to get them back fit as well.”
Quizzed on what was missing from the display, he said: "I don’t think it was intensity. It might come from not having a game for near enough four weeks.
"But we don’t want to touch on that because we don’t want to be seen to be making excuses, but it certainly does have an influence on it. We had the intensity towards the end of the game and we need to start with it.”
Norwood’s goal in the 62nd minute had seemed likely to see the Blues on their way to a win by Scott Twine’s wonder goal five minutes later turned the game back Swindon’s way.
"It was a fantastic strike, a wonder goal, probably up there with the goals of the season, and quite rightly so,” he said.
"But we were in control of the game at that point but that strike put us on the back foot again but it’s looking at the process of it and it needs to be better.
"Without a doubt [he should have been closed down more quickly], ideally we’d want people up against him so he doesn’t receive the ball in the first place.
"But things like that happen, they moved the ball across the pitch pretty quickly and it’s hard sometimes to shuffle across and be in the right position but it’s a learning curve and it’s something we’ll go and work on and make sure it doesn’t happen again. But it was a fantastic strike.”
Taylor admits the Blues will have to be better when they travel to face bottom side Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium next weekend.
"We’re always looking to see improvements, we’re always looking for a reaction from a poor performance even when you win,” he said. "But certainly with having a defeat, we’re looking for that, we’re always looking for a reaction.”