IRELAND INTERNATIONAL Alan Browne denied confidence was an issue and pointed to the squad’s lack of a “world-class” figure following Tuesday’s Nations League loss at home to Greece.

Despite the arrival of new boss Heimir Hallgrímsson, Ireland’s slump in form has continued and the team now looks set for a relegation battle with Finland in their group.

Excluding games versus Gibraltar, the Boys in Green have lost 11 of their last 14 competitive fixtures.

Hallgrímsson told RTÉ after Tuesday’s game: “Winning is a habit, but unfortunately losing is too. You can kind of sense that there is a lack of confidence in this team.

“We only needed to give them a sniff of a chance and they were 1-0 up. I think it was their first chance at goal, and that is what happens to a team without confidence, they concede a goal in this manner.”

Yet Browne afterwards suggested confidence was not an issue for the Ireland squad.

“I don’t think so. I think everyone comes into camp quite confident. Everyone goes away and does quite well with their teams and then we come together we do believe that we will get results but for whatever reason we are in that rot of coming out on the wrong side of them.”

Instead, the midfielder suggested the run of poor results had more to do with ability.

He also dismissed claims made by pundits including former Ireland defender Gary Breen that the current squad lacks leaders.

“I think there are quite a lot of leaders in there, there are quite a lot of players who have captained their club or their country. If you look at the team, there are a good few in there.

“We probably don’t have that presence, that Premier League quality player that stands out a mile from the rest. Like you might have had in years gone by. Boys are playing in the Prem and doing quite well, but we don’t have that world-class figure that everyone looks at and thinks he is going to win us the game.

“I know Evan [Ferguson] has obviously got a bright future, but it is a lot to put on his shoulders, being so young. And at the minute, he hasn’t played a lot of football. Yeah, you are probably just missing that presence rather than leadership.”

The 29-year-old also lamented familiar failings that let the Irish team down once again.

“It seems to be same old story with us, we keep coming out the wrong side of these games where we really need to be winning them. We keep leaving ourselves with a mountain to climb as the group progresses. It’s not over [in the group], a long way from it, but it’s just deflating when you feel like you’re in the game and then they get a goal from nothing. It’s a great finish but we need to defend it better.

“If a team is on top you have that thought to keep them at bay for as long as possible but I don’t think they were. Up until that point, we didn’t really have much trouble and I didn’t personally have think: ‘They’re going to score here.’ That hurts even more because it’s out of nothing and out of nowhere.

“I think we had the better of the chances, albeit half-chances — I had a couple myself. They get one chance and he sticks it in the top corner and that is the difference between winning and losing at this level, especially when you get the first goal, you are more likely to go on and win the game.” 

Nonetheless, Browne believes patience is key as the Irish squad adapts to the Hallgrímsson era.

“For a manager to come in and be given a week to prepare for two games, it is really tough. I think the messages he has given us have been quite good and we have tried to deliver to the best of our ability. But, in the end, the quality has let us down — that seemed to be the difference.

“The England [game] was always going to be a tough ask with their quality, we never really looked like winning that. And then tonight, this was the one we needed to be winning to keep ourselves in a good position and we failed to do so.

“Yeah, it doesn’t get any easier, it will be a tough month. But we always go away, come back and reflect on it and go into the camp with confidence.”