Albion players were in no doubt about the task facing them after the momentous win over Manchester United.

The need to “go again” as they say in football (usually after a defeat).

Adam Webster said it when he spoke to a handful reporters at something like 11pm on Thursday.

He spoke about attention switching quickly to the Everton game as fans celebrated Alexis Mac Allister’s 90+9 penalty on their way home.

Moises Caicedo said it too in a brief interview with The Argus.

So the intention was there. But it appears getting minds and/or bodies right so quickly is easier said than done.

That was certainly the indication from Roberto De Zerbi speaking not long after the 5-1 defeat by Everton.

The intention was there. No one wanted to flop or let standards drop at all.

After a widely lauded performance against Wolves, they peaked again versus United four days later, even with players missing and a surprise or two on the team sheet.

The line-up felt a little more reassuring on Monday with Pascal Gross back and Evan Ferguson as an option off the bench.

But they did not switch on from kick-off and ended up chasing a game against a Sean Dyche side from inside the first minute.

So were Albion “out-tacticked” as Sam Allardyce put it on one memorable occasion?

Or was it just their employment of the right gameplan?

One thing was for certain. Everton’s plan was perfect and they carried it out surely better than at any time this season.

De Zerbi felt Albion were doing the right things but just not doing them well enough.

And, of course, they were chasing the game very early playing a style fans and players have come to love and trust.

He said: “I think when you are losing, you attack with many players, maybe too many.

“The risk is to concede many goals but it is not the tactical disposition.

“The problem is before this game all people were speaking about the quality of the football of Brighton.

“We made mistakes in the first half in every situation, with the ball, without the ball, in defensive space, in offensive space.

“But we have not to focus the problem on tactical disposition.

“If you watched the game with Manchester United and if you watched the game today, I think you can watch two completely different teams.

“So what is the problem?

“The problem maybe is in mentality, in the head, no?”

De Zerbi re-energised the early evening on and off the pitch with his four half-time changes.

But Jordan Pickford’s saves, some bad luck and some hurried finishing meant they never ate into a three-goal deficit.

De Zerbi said: “We are losing 3-0 and I thought to change four players to change everything, to move the game.

“The second half we played better but not because I changed four players.

“Because maybe it was a different attitude, different mentality, different energy.”

Of course it is a shame there is not more time for fans and players to enjoy a momentous night like that United game.

Or, from a more physical reason, for the team to get their minds and bodies totally fresh.

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As De Zerbi spoke about that need to peak every three or four days, the mind went back to a chat with Adam Lallana not so long ago, when he signed his new contract.

He was asked about how he felt during the 3-0 win over his old side Liverpool and he said the great thing was having a few days to enjoy and reflect.

Lallana has become so accustomed to that relentless schedule it felt like a nice novelty NOT to have it.

(By the way Lallana, for his ability and experience, is a big miss at this time of year, in the same way, for example, Bobby Zamora was in the 2016 promotion run-in).

Albion, for all the right intentions and the right plans, are doing the same process in reverse.