Lee Westwood defended under-fire Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo - insisting he was not to blame for Europe's defeat by the USA - as the nucleus of the vanquished team arrived back at Heathrow.

Faldo declined to speak as he went through arrivals after the team's flight back from the US touched down 13 minutes later than scheduled.

"I'm talked out thanks," he told the waiting media.

But Westwood admitted that responsibility for the 16 1/2-11 1/2 defeat at Valhalla lies with the players.

"We would have liked to have come back with the trophy, obviously, but the Americans played great," he said. "We got well and truly beaten by the better side."

Faldo has come under fire for his controversial running order for the final day's singles but Westwood had no complaints at all about his leadership.

"I don't think he could have done anything else," he said. "We hold the golf clubs, we hit the ball, the buck stops with us really.

"Nick sent us out in good order and if we'd have played well it would have worked."

Westwood also refused to blame the defeat on the American crowd who gave some of the European players a hard time.

He admitted it was not his most pleasant experience on a golf course but said: "You should be able to handle things like that. I'll learn next time and know how to handle it in a different way."

Westwood said his immediate aim after all the trials and tribulations of the setback which ended Europe's nine-year domination of the event was "to get a good night's sleep".

Then he will concentrate on a strong finish in the Order of Merit.

He said: "I've got two more tournaments - the British Masters this week and then the Dunhill - so my goal is really to try and win the Order of Merit, which involves having a couple of big weeks."

Also on the flight back from Louisville, Kentucky, were Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimnez, Oliver Wilson and Faldo's vice-captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

Spaniard Olazabal, who experienced the American crowd frenzy as a member of the losing team at Brookline in 1999, was adamant that the problems with the crowd were nowhere near as bad this time around.

"The crowd was fair," he said. "Obviously they were cheering for the US team and there is nothing wrong wings at the wrong moment but you are going to find these guys anywhere.

"In general they were great - no complaints about that. They were loud, we expected that but they were fair.

"Obviously it wasn't the result we expected. We went out there to win and we played with that intention but this time it didn't happen.

"The USA team played very well and they deserved to win. It was as simple as that."