New Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has claimed his team deserved at least a point from their Premier League game at Leicester City after beginning his reign with a narrow defeat, but said the display mattered more than the result.
Home goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel put in a man-of-the-match performance to keep Marsch's team at bay, with Harvey Barnes scoring the only goal of the game in the second half.
The new boss was pleased with his team's display - in particular what he considered a period of control at the start of the second half - but Leeds remain in relegation trouble after a fifth straight league defeat.
Things got worse for the visitors late on when, after deeming Patrick Bamford not ready to return from the bench, Marsch saw forward Tyler Roberts hampered by an injury in the closing minutes.
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"Even going into the match I felt the performance was more important than the points," Marsch told BBC Match of the Day after the defeat.
"It is our first match together, we have had four days on the [training] pitch together and I'm pleased with how they controlled the match in all phases of the game, including set pieces.
"They have made so much progress in a short space of a time."
Speaking to BT Sport, meanwhile, he explained; "I look at the faces on our team and they're obviously disappointed, because they know they played well, they know they deserved a result today".
Leeds recorded 19 shots to Leicester's seven over the course of the 90 minutes, with Jack Harrison among those to test Schmeichel, but they were unable to find a way past the Danish international.
However, there were still some positives for Marsch, who has been in the job for less than a week after taking over from Marcelo Bielsa.
Leicester goalscorer Barnes recognised his team's opponents "still have the same intensity" despite the change in manager, and Marsch's next task will be to translate that into results.
The defeat leaves Leeds with just 23 points from 27 games, with a crucial home double-header against Aston Villa and Norwich City on the horizon
Marsch's men took four points off the two sides in their away games, including their last draw under Bielsa at Villa Park in February.
That 3-3 draw formed part of a poor defensive run for Leeds, who shipped 20 goals in five games before their current manager's arrival, and former Whites defender Rio Ferdinand talked up the better showing at the back.
"What he’s got to grab onto today is it wasn’t three or four," Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
"They conceded one goal in the second half. First half they looked good, equally as good a side as Leicester. I thought second half, very bitty game, very scrappy game."
