Niall Moran fears for Wexford's championship chances unless they rediscover their mojo soon.
Following a disappointing early exit last season, the 2019 Leinster kingpins are looking to bounce back.
They have beaten Clare and Laois in the Allianz Hurling League already over the last month but former Limerick stat Moran thinks last weekend's 10-point loss to Kilkenny was a reality check for Davy Fitzgerald's side.
"Wexford lacked energy and a looked like a team that are devoid of confidence," he said.
"Confidence supersedes training and skill, it supersedes a lot of things. Sometimes the harder you try the more it sinks.
"Obviously their preparation going into it wasn't perfect but they looked like a team that might be trying too hard at times.
"They seem to be getting themselves wound up and trying to find new ways of opening teams, to the point that they’re literally running around in circles and have forgotten the basics of what they’re good at.
"They gave away 14 frees and left themselves wide open. The goals they gave away, especially the first one to Billy Ryan, were inexcusable at this level.
"Even in the first game, had Laois taken some of their free chances in the third quarter, they could have been in with a shout coming down the home stretch.
"Clare were arguably the better team over the course of the game the last day.
"You could argue it’s only the league but the championship is around the corner. I know they would have been expecting more out of themselves."
TJ Reid scored 1-18 (1-03 from play) as Kilkenny strolled to victory but Moran feels they Kilkenny need to find greater support for the Ballyhale Shamrocks wizard if they are to end a six-year wait for Liam McCarthy.
"Kilkenny haven't gone away," said the Ahane man. "They racked up 2-27 and it was a fairly impressive performance, but the game lacked a lot of intensity.
"TJ is a machine. They are still very heavily dependent on him. If the scores do dry up around him, who's going to take on the mantle?
"Billy Ryan and Alan Murphy did well yesterday but the verdict will still be out on them unless they can produce that consistently.
"They’ll be happy that Adrian Mullen got 70 minutes. But he’s coming back from a cruciate. They would need more from himself and John Donnelly to be a real contender for the All-Ireland.
"From 1 to 9 they are as good as anybody but the weight of expectation on TJ in their forwards is a worry."
