Wales manager Rob Page called the chastening defeat by Armenia a "huge bump in the road" but defended his side's record of only one win since qualifying for the World Cup more than a year ago.
Wales were sent crashing back down to earth on Friday night with a 4-2 loss at home to Armenia, a defeat which prompted a torrent of anger from supporters and pundits and ramped up pressure on Monday night's huge Euro qualifier match against Turkey.
Speaking in Samsun on the eve of the game, Page said: "We had a group meeting yesterday and addressed what needed to be said, we’ve put it to bed and full focus is on the challenge tomorrow evening and we’ll all be ready for it.
"Every manager sat before me has had similar issues, games sometimes don’t go according to plan.
"We know as a nation that if we’re going to continue to compete at this level and maintain the levels of performance shown against Croatia and against Latvia, in certain respects, we have to get both sides of the game spot on. If not, we run the risk of getting performances and results like the other night.
"I think the reason it was such a low moment was because of expectations we put on ourselves, because of results we’ve had and performances we’ve had.
"There is a stat about one win in 11 games, look at the opposition we’ve been playing. If we were playing England, Holland or Belgium six or seven years ago it might have been more than the close defeats in the 95th minute. We’re a team in progression, a team in transition so we have to put our foot on the ball a little bit and remind ourselves where on the journey we are.
"We showed our potential in March, we are still a young group so there are going to be inconsistencies, there are going to be bumps along the way. Friday was a massive bump, but now we stick together as a group.
"We will look to put it right tomorrow, but if we can’t get the win I want a level of performance that the supporters can be proud of and build on it."
It so easily could have been a completely different narrative. A win against Armenia would have seen Wales yield seven points from their first three qualifiers and they would have been sitting pretty at the top of their qualification pool. But the defeat has seen their chances of qualification slashed considerably.
A win over Turkey, however, will once again see the narrative flip on its head, he hopes.
"That's what happens when you win and lose games of football," Page said. "This is why I talk about the importance of staying moderated. It's a long-term plan. We are in a transition.
"Since the World Cup there have been some senior players who have left, big characters in the changing room. We introduced a lot of youth, not just in the squad but in the team as well. We are going to have moments like we had the other night, it's about how we manage those defeats and give a performance (against Turkey), I firmly believe that."
There have been some pretty blunt comments from fans and media alike in recent days in the wake of the defeat by Armenia. Page believes that, in part, is due to heightened expectations after such a successful few years.
"Football is about opinions. Absolutely, they are entitled to their opinions," he added. "It's my job to make sure they stick to the plan. A stat written on a bit of paper is one win in 11 games.
"We got promoted from League B to League A (in the Nations League), which means we play against Belgium, Holland, Poland, England, USA. It's tougher opposition to what we've played in recent years.
"The demands are greater, expectations have gone up because we've had some positive performances, not so much the results, but the performances, the big occasions where we've had to turn up and win, like Austria, like Ukraine, we have delivered.
"Everyone is going to have an opinion. I will never have a go at a supporter for voicing an opinion. It's my job to keep these lads on track. We are on the right track. I have seen a development from our nation, our team, it's a work in progress.
"Yes, there are bumps in the road, we need a positive reaction."
Indeed, captain Aaron Ramsey remains confident his side, who sit two points behind group leaders Turkey, can still qualify for the tournament in Germany next season.
"100 percent. I am confident. I believe in this team," he said when asked whether Wales could still qualify. "I believe in the boys and the staff and we have a good opportunity tomorrow to get back on track and hopefully concentrate on performance and hopefully the rest will take care of itself."
While the loss against Armenia was naturally damaging, Ramsey says there is still a long way to go before their fate is decided.
"It was a huge disappointment," he said of Armenia. "We had a brilliant week going into that game. We worked on things we thought would get us the three points, but ultimately we fell short. We are grateful we have an opportunity to put it right.
"It was a big disappointment and the players are naturally flat, but we are not even halfway yet. We are in a decent position. If we can take full advantage of tomorrow night we will be back in this group.
"There are a lot of points still to play for. There are a lot of twists and turns."
Wales take on Turkey at 7.45pm on Monday.
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