Brendan Cummins believes Pat Gilroy "looked backwards rather than forwards" when shaping his panel for the league campaign and is suffering the consequences.
The Dubs slumped to a 12-point defeat against Limerick in their Allianz Hurling League Division 1B tussle on Saturday night, leaving them with one win from three.
The nature of that loss would have concerned Gilroy as they never pushed Limerick hard and former Tipp goalkeeper Cummins sad they're facing "difficult times".
"I think Pat Gilroy would have expected a bigger bounce," he said on the League Sunday panel.
"He brought Conal Keaney back, (Alan) Nolan in the goals. I just feel when he made that decision he looked backwards rather than forwards.
"I think it was important to give younger fellas an opportunity. He's probably going to have to go back to them. Conal Keaney has done okay but if I was a 22-year-old or 23-year-old hurler in Dublin I'd be saying, 'well Conal Keaney, they've gone back for him, what am I doing here on the panel?'
"And of course the guy who'd really light up Dublin hurling, Con O'Callaghan, will be putting the hurley in the corner of the room unfortunately and going back to playing the big ball.
"So, difficult times in Dublin hurling and there's no guarantees they're going to get out of that relegation."
