Stefano Pioli lamented Inter's slow start as they suffered a 3-0 Serie A loss at Napoli on Friday.
Having produced an excellent display to defeat Fiorentina last time out, Inter were slow out of the blocks at Stadio San Paolo, falling 2-0 down inside six minutes as Piotr Zielinski and Marek Hamsik scored.
They never looked likely to get back into the match and now sit seven points behind their fifth-placed hosts, leaving Pioli to rue a poor showing that was compounded by Lorenzo Insigne's second-half goal.
"It is a step backwards compared to recent matches, as above all the initial approach made all the difference against a quality side like Napoli," he told Mediaset Premium.