Former St Patrick's Athletic goalkeeper Barry Murphy believes Stephen Kenny will need to make a "massive overhaul" to his squad in this window as their season threatens to unravel.
At the start of the campaign, Pat's were tipped as one of the title contenders based on the way they finished the 2024 season brilliantly and with former Republic of Ireland manager Kenny in situ at Richmond Park.
However, with the start of the European campaign looming next week when the Saints meet Lithuanian outfit FC Hegelmann in the first qualifying round, their domestic form has stalled completely.
The 0-0 draw at Cork City on Friday marked the fourth time in the last five matches that St Pat's have gone scoreless and it has left Kenny's side down in sixth.
While they are only six points off second and third-placed Derry City and Bohemians respectively in the congested SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division table, they need to find momentum quickly given the potential glut of continental games on the horizon.
"I think it needs a massive overhaul," ex-Saints, Shamrock Rovers and Bohs goalkeeper Murphy on this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
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"I don't think they're Stephen's players. He inherited them from last season and he got a tune out of them in the last nine games to secure that European place but there was a bite about them, there were contracts on the line.
"You just look at the moment and you don't like to say it, but they look soft at the moment."
On the areas that need addressing within the squad, he added, "They probably need two wing backs (or) two full backs, they need a midfielder and probably another centre-forward.
"They're on zero goal difference and you look at the defence, Joe Redmond hasn't been anywhere near what he was last season, Joseph Anang has been really poor in the last month, (Jake) Mulraney has 21 appearance (and) zero goals; (Zack) Elbouzedi, two goals and two assists; (Aidan) Keena and (Mason) Melia, can they play up top together? Probably not.
"So (Kenny) has been trying to put square pegs in round holes in trying to get them both on the pitch and it hasn't worked.
"And if you're talking about the confidence they had in the last nine games of last season, it's the polar opposite at the moment and I think there will be massive changes in July."
Also speaking on the podcast, former Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers defender Graham Gartland, who was on the books at Pat's in 2003, echoed those concerns about matters on the pitch at Richmond Park right now.
"To be honest with you, I'd be a little bit worried about Pat's at the moment. I just think they really lack confidence.They're a confidence team," he said.
"They lack a lot of aggression and power in their attacking play. But they also don't have enough guile to then break teams down and be intricate.
"So if you're not going to overpower (opponents) with consistent attacks and feel like there's a goal coming, you need a little bit of guile and Brandon Kavanagh normally has that but he's been struggling. He only has two assists this season whereas last year he was up around 14 or 15.
"But then they also don't have the power. I don't think they sometimes play to their strengths as well."
On the latter point, he feels Pat's can go quicker from back to front towards teenage sensation Mason Melia who "thrives" with space to run into.
"Not once did they win the ball back and have eyes down the pitch and say, 'Look, Cork are a little bit wide open, we haven't got time to do our build-up play play, we're going to straight into Mason.'"
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