Richard Dunne has criticised Stephen Kenny's tactics despite Ireland getting their first points of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in a 3-0 win over Gibraltar in Dublin.
The pressure was on Kenny after a dismal performance in Athens last Friday saw Ireland still searching for their first points of the campaign.
And there was anxiety around the Aviva as Ireland struggled to break the deadlock against a well-organised Gibraltar in a goalless first half.
READ MORE: Ireland run out 3-0 winners against Gibraltar after grim first-half
This prompted Kenny to take off Nathan Collins, one of his three centre-backs, and replace him with the attacking winger Mikey Johnston.
It was a move that paid off as Johnson scored the opener and was heavily involved in helping Ireland to a 3-0 victory.
But former Ireland defender Dunne believes that the first-half performance was a telling indictment of Kenny's tactics.
Dunne said on Virgin Media: "The main thing that comes out of that game is your questioning why the manager started three at the back.
"He has played that system against sides of similar levels before and it hasn't worked. We've struggled to break teams down.
"And then you see in the second half when he changes it - he brings a centre-back off and we get full-backs and wingers onto the pitch, we open them up and create so many more chances. We are much quicker in moving the ball.
"The only thing I can take from the game is how does he not know to start like that? How does his staff not know to start like that?
"When we've play Armenia and when we play Luxembourg, other teams where we have the majority of the ball that we don't open them up because we have wing backs who are stood outside wide for the ball and when they get it everything is predictable and slow.
"In the second half, we had players doing overlap, we had runners, we had players in different positions and it was so contrasting between the first and second half.
"The manager should know this three and a half years down the line into the job. He's still not sure how to play these games."
