There will be no excuses for Norwich City next season says Timm Klose, after a wretched end to their 2017-18 campaign.
The Canaries were smashed 5-1 at Sheffield Wednesday, saw James Maddison limp off with what is feared to be a serious knee injury and were the architects of their own downfall with the defensive frailties on show.
It will be some time before Daniel Farke's side get to work Sunday's defeat out of their system, the final chapter of what's been widely regarded as a transitional season.
And while Klose is conscious of progress that has been made over the last 12 months, he knows the rules will change come next term.
'Maybe this result will linger but then you have to reflect on the whole season, not only one game,' said the Swiss centre-back.
'Of course we are angry because we've ended the season like this and it wasn't good enough. But when you take the positives out of this season, I think they will be bigger than the negative things.
'It's just about how we are going to approach next season and it's up to us now, because the excuses are over I think.
'I do think that was a good season to learn and how we can play like a team, stick together always.
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'We've shown it in periods this season, and now we have to bring it over a whole season consistently – and that's what it's all about.
'I'm not saying we won't have games like this. It happens, it's football and this is the Championship. We have too many games to play every game solid.
'But when it happens, we have to stick together, stand up and show our chests.'
Who it is that takes on next season under Farke is likely to keep everyone busy from here, with Maddison's injury a severe blow to City's plans to rebuild in the aftermath of their Premier League parachute payments ending.
'I don't care about that,' said Klose. 'The players who want to stay, they stay – but then we have to move one step forward.
'I think this season was a transitional season, not only for us players but also for the staff and the whole club.
'We have to learn from our mistakes. We have seven weeks off and then it starts again, and in games like Sunday where we control the game and are very comfortable, and then we have to ask ourselves how are we 4-0 down – we have to change that next season.
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'But I think for now, we just need to calm down again. We are still a bit angry because we lost 5-1 and we have to stick together as a team next season.
'Things like this will always happen, but it's how you react and how you show your character. That's the most important thing.
'And I don't care about the players who want to leave or want to stay. I think you know which players are on the market now, who played a good season, and which players maybe want to leave but can't.
'That's not up to us players. It's up to the board. It's up to the manager. What's going to happen there, you'll have to ask them.'
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