Nick Faldo sat and listened to his players defending his actions last night as European dreams of a fourth successive Ryder Cup victory lay in tatters.

Faldo's plan backfired when Padraig Harrington, winner of golf's last two majors, star-of-the-week Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell were all still out on the Valhalla course as the American celebrations started.

But while they were not just beaten, but well beaten 16 1/2-11 1/2 by an unfancied side lacking Tiger Woods, there was no criticism of the captain from the players under him.

Westwood, the most experienced member of the side, jumped in when Faldo was asked if he cared about the criticism bound to be coming his way.

"We hold the golf clubs, we hit the shots, not the captain," he said. "If you want to talk about me being rested and Sergio (Garcia) being rested, that's the session we won, so Nick was right to do that.

"So you tell me whether Nick was right or wrong."

Garcia, who went out first and was thrashed by Anthony Kim, added: "At the end of the day it comes down to playing well.

"If I would have played better and I would have won my match, maybe we would be talking and writing a different story.

"It has nothing to do with Nick. At the end of the day we are the guys that need to perform well on the course.

"We just need to be better than the guys we play. It's not his fault."

On the singles line-up Poulter said: "We talked about it for a long time. We all sat down and said where we wanted to play.

"If it didn't come off it does not look good, but I don't think that's a true reflection.

"We thought we could get up early to get the middle pack through a couple of matches and we thought they would leave a few strong guys at the end.

"It did not happen that way. It's all ifs and buts. I thought Nick did a good job, but how can you say that if you lost?

"We got beat fair and square. I have a lot of respect for Nick and you guys (the media) don't see what goes on in the team room, so it's hard to give an accurate opinion from the outside looking in."

While Poulter, the most discussed player of the team, had an inspired four-point display — he was the top scorer on either side — Westwood, Harrington and Garcia did not have a single win between them.

But Faldo came under fire for resting Garcia, tired though he said he was, from the foursomes in which he was unbeaten rather than the fourballs where it is easier to give the less experienced players an outing.

And it is only six years ago that American captain Curtis Strange and Europe's Solheim Cup captain Dale Reid both paid the price for putting a big name out late.

Strange had Woods in the anchor role against Jesper Parnevik and the match became academic, while Reid put unbeaten Carin Koch next to last and she ended up being redundant too.

Faldo said: "You do your best to put the 12 guys together. We talked about it and posted the team.

"We've obviously got to make up those two points (the States led 9-7) or hang on to their shirt-tails and not let them get away.

"It was mighty close. It could have gone any way at any particular moment and then it could have gone all the way to Padraig's match.

"That was the risk I guess you take, but I'm comfortable with everything.

"Everybody has given 100 per cent and that's all you can do. One of my goals was to leave here knowing I have done everything I could for the team.

"I think, as I hope, most of you would agree, it was incredibly close. It was kind of on a knife-edge at times.

"I'm incredibly proud of these guys. We gave our heart and souls out there, but this particular week we were out-played just marginally in different areas."

Asked if he would do anything differently Faldo stated: "The only thing looking back is that it was a long, gruelling week.

"The schedule is so heavy. It always is at the Ryder Cup.

"If we could do something about that to make life a little easier and keep the strength up. Guys have been bashing away all year.

"That would be the only area. I would just conserve some energy before the start."

Faldo certainly had no regrets about having Jose Maria Olazabal as his only vice-captain.

"Absolutely not," he said. "Between Ollie and I we played 18 Ryder Cups and between these 12 characters as well we have talked solidly.

"I am more than comfortable with everything that has happened in the team room."

Olazabal backed him up on that and also answered when Faldo was asked about the fact that under his leadership Europe had gone from being a winning team to a
losing one.

"That question doesn't deserve an answer." Faldo thanked his possible successor for that and the press conference ended.