Derry City have yet to settle on a clear style of play as they continue their underwhelming start to the new season, according to Richie Towell.
The Candystripes came into the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division campaign with high expectations after strengthening in the winter with additions including Republic of Ireland centurion James McClean.
But Tiernan Lynch's side have endured a stuttering start to the season. After five games, they have amassed seven points. But performances have not been performances with comebacks key in digging them out of trouble in the points that they have earned.
Friday's trip to Tallaght Stadium to face Shamrock Rovers would have been viewed as a litmus test of how a talented squad is gelling.
But ultimately while they lost 1-0 following a late Dylan Watts penalty, Derry were also dominated in general play with just 29% of possession and no shots on target to the Hoops' eight.
It's a concern for the club and it's fans and ex-Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk midfielder Towell, who was in Tallaght to co-commentate on the game, feels they are lacking a blueprint of how they want to play.
"I don't know Derry's style of play still. I don't know if they're a pressing team, I don't know if they're a team that sit in a mid to low block and look to play in transition," he said on this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
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"He seemed to change their style of play weekly. Now, I get sometimes you have to adapt to different games.
"But I think you have to have your own way of playing first and foremost and then you can have slight little tweaks.
"When I'm looking at them, I'm just thinking they're just playing off the cuff every single week and they've no stamp on the game."
Meanwhile, former Republic of Ireland winger Keith Treacy feels a concerted title challenge looks unlikely even at this early juncture.
"I've been unimpressed with what Derry have done so far this season," he said.
"The first game of the season against Sligo, when I went up to the Brandywell, there was such a good feeling. It was bouncing, James McClean's first game and you just thought whatever happens here, Sligo were just lambs to the slaughter.
"It didn't turn out like that. They were so flat and I'm not looking for a full football performance because there's a lot of the new signings in there.
"But they just don't look to have the bite and they don't look to be pressing like a team unit and that's something that should be worked at on the training ground.
"Getting lads to run and press is the easiest thing you can do. When you get the football involved, it becomes a little bit more difficult because there's a lot of variance.
"But when the ball is in a certain area, you should be able to press properly. I don't see Derry giving us a title race.
"They might be able to click into some sort of form but I'm unimpressed and don't expect a title race out of Derry is how I'd sum up their first couple of games."
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