Tim Sherwood insists his Tottenham side cannot use playing in the Europa League as an excuse for losing domestically.
The north London club were beaten 1-0 by Norwich City at Carrow Road on Sunday, making it the fifth time in seven Premier League matches they have lost when returning to the league after playing in Europe.
After the loss, which came courtesy of Robert Snodgrass' 47th-minute goal, Sherwood spoke of how his players can't be too affected by competing in the Europa League as it simply part of being a top English football club.
"It's difficult to make an excuse like that, you've got to give Norwich some credit. There were spirited today and they played well and worked hard," he told Sky Sports.
"It's just bitterly disappointing for us that we're coming away with nothing and we possibly never deserved it."
The loss forced Spurs to fall six points behind fourth-placed Liverpool as they continue to chase a Champions League spot but Sherwood wasn't losing hope just yet.
"It's a dent, we're still in it. We're still looking up rather than behind. We've got two home games now and we need to bounce back - that's what good teams do," he added.
"That's what players with real spirit do and we've got to see what we have in there."
