Former Republic of Ireland international Marie Curtin believes a lack of specialists in key positions played a part in the Girls in Green's not reaching the FIFA Women's World Cup knockout stages.
A 2-1 defeat to Canada in Perth on Wednesday means Ireland cannot mathematically finish in the top two places in Group B even with a final group game to go against Nigeria next Monday.
Speaking on the RTÉ Women's World Cup Podcast, Curtin praised the Irish team's first-half performance and while versatility can be a benefit to a squad, she also pointed how players being deployed out of their natural positions - like midfielder Megan Connolly starting in the back three - had contributed to Vera Pauw's side eventually losing control of the match.
"We have players on the pitch, and probably too many if you're looking at World Cup competition, that are playing out of position," she said.
"You can dissect those goals and, look, Megan Connolly can be so proud of her performances in these last few games in a position that she's not playing week in, week out. You could say the same for Áine (O'Gorman) today.
"But just Megan's body shape for the two goals was slightly off. For a centre-half, you need your back to goal, you need to be checking, scanning constantly and you need to be telling your midfielders that you're driving that energy, telling midfielders whether to shift right or to the left.
"And it's so technical down to the inch of that movement right or left, how to cover your space or where to be to provide that cover.
"She just didn't have that instinct in her and it's just body position, looking across the line.
"These are tiny, technical things and as I said, Megan has done fantastic but unfortunately should there have been a more natural centre-half that has grown up in that position and is playing there week in week out?
"That's an area where Ireland can look to now for the future at getting players playing in their natural positions."
Curtin, who coaches within Treaty United's academy set-up, is confident that a new wave of talent is coming to help alleviate issues like that by expanding the playing pool and also build on some of the more encouraging aspects of the group stage exit.
"Being in the game here, managing an academy team at Treaty United in the League of Ireland at Under-17 level, I'm aware of talent coming through," she said.
"The Irish women's team is only going to go from strength to strength and what a performance, what an account of ourselves we've shown and yes we're not through to the final 16 but what a position we are in to say, yes we can do that and that is realistic to get to the next round, to the quarter-finals in our next Euros or our next World Cup and to qualify for them consistently.
"I believe we will grow from strength to strength now we have such great backing from the FAI and we have the respect of the association to go and do that; we have the support to put processes in place, to put the environment in place, so I think we'll only go from strength to strength."
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