Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner says the club have "ignored reality" after losing to Leeds for the second time in three days.
Forest followed up defeat in Saturday's Premier League opener with a 2-0 Carabao Cup loss as things have yet to click under the new manager.
They are set to bring in Chelsea striker Liam Delap after agreeing a club-record £45 million ($61m) deal, but Glasner says he is not a "magician".
"This is a little bit the assessment after six weeks here, that maybe -- and not just in the team, it's maybe in the club -- that there's a little bit of ignoring the reality," Glasner said.
Glasner's Forest lose to Leeds in first game of the 2026/27 Premier League. Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images "Right now, we are far away from where we want to be, and what I'm really convinced in that where we will be.
"The fact is that this team had a relegation battle for nine months. Very turbulent season and it ended with a huge effort to stay in the league, and this is our starting point.
"It's really very important not to blame anybody because sometimes I tell them facts and they say, 'Oh, Glasner is complaining'.
"No, no, no. But then maybe your best midfielder [Elliot Anderson] leaves the club and now we expect we compete for European places because Oliver Glasner is in. Sorry, this is what I can't deliver within six weeks.
"I'm no magician, no messiah, just hard work. That is what we have to do.
"It doesn't make sense talking about seventh two years ago. It's hard, it's tough, but if you ignore the reality then you live in dreamland and this is never the best thing to do."
- Leeds beat Nottingham Forest for second time in three days in League Cup - Man United's Bruno Fernandes named PFA men's player of the year to complete award hat trick
On the imminent arrival of Delap, Glasner added: "I can't talk about a player who is under contract at another team, so we didn't announce any signings. So that's why there's no comment tonight.
"Maybe we have a signing, but I don't know if they can be involved in Saturday's game [at Liverpool]."
Before last Saturday, Leeds had not won at the City Ground since 1972, but now they have two victories in just over three days.
They snatched a late 1-0 success in Saturday's Premier League opener, but were worthy winners on Tuesday after second-half goals from Dan James and James Justin.