Damien Delaney has torn into Stephen Kenny and accused him of making tactical mistakes and 'wasting' the first two Nations League group games.
Despite praising ireland for an 'okay' showing in their 1-1 draw with Ukraine in Lodz this evening Delaney, who was appearing as a pundit on Virgin Media, was keen the stress that tactical mistakes were made by the management team in losses to Armenia and Ukraine.
"It's a hill I'll die on, you can't put two players in the middle of midfield in international football, or any level of football, especially when the opposition play three in there. You cannot do it."
"We thought we'd learned our lesson, then we go into the Armenia game, and we go back and do it again! I don't understand why. So I still have questions over that."
"Tonight was an okay performance, we could've nicked it they could've nicked it, even game, probably a fair result, Scotland game was brilliant."
"But we wasted the first two."
Ireland have finished this batch of Nations League games strongly with a 3-0 drubbing of Scotland followed by tonight's 1-1 draw with Ukraine. Delaney however, feels this isn't enough to excuse the performances put in against Armenia and Ukraine in Dublin.
"You can't forget all about those games," said Delaney.
"The manager said at the end of his interview that he's disappointed the team hasn't got more points from this window."
"I'm disappointed he hasn't because if he plays that shape against Armenia we win that hands down."
"We underestimated or didn't respect Armenia, we went there with a real 3-4-3 and opened up the pitch, so that was that one written off."
The former Crystal Palace defender was equally scathing in his criticism of the tactical system against Ukraine. Delaney also felt Ireland were too attack minded in their opening two games and need to think more about protecting their own goal.
"We did the same against Ukraine in Dublin and get absolutely hosed in possession there, they had their way with us."
"Then he changes it and we get a good result against Scotland."
"There's a happy medium or balance between going gung-ho, like the Armenia one, and solid and compact in games where you think 'A draw here's not a bad result.'
The Corkman also accused Kenny of 'learning on the job' and expressed his exasperation at Ireland's stop start progress or as he put it himself, 'two steps back and two steps forward.'
In terms of tonight's draw, Delaney deemed the performance "okay" and "solid". Brian Kerr on the other hand, was a bit more forthcoming with praise.
"Overall I'd say it was a satisfactory performance," he said when analysing the game on Virgin Media this evening.
"And, you know, it was the sort of results that gets you results in away games against teams that might be considered stronger than you."
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