Republic of Ireland attacker Callum Robinson insists they aren't under extra pressure after a slow start in the Stephen Kenny era.
Ireland have found the net only once since Kenny took charge last year and haven't registered a victory in eight games ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier away to Serbia.
But West Brom's Robinson feels there's plenty to build on for the injury-hit squad heading into that Group A opener in Belgrade.
“We need to just play and hopefully score. I said before the Slovakia game in one of these that I was confident and I was and I thought we did really well that night. We were unlucky to lose on penalties but I thought that we created chances, we did really well, broke Slovakia down through the thirds. I don’t think many supporters had seen football like that from us in a long time.
"So it’s small steps but as we said, the main thing is the result, that needs to change and goals need to come so it’s understandable that people will be annoyed but I think we’re going in the right direction.”
With Ireland having gone over 600-minutes since their last goal, Robinson says they can't afford to allow that drought to win heavy on their minds going into Wednesday's match.
“I can only speak for myself and I don’t think it should. Like I said, you start panicking when you’re not actually getting the chances but we are getting some good chances.
“Obviously players missed the last few games for COVID reasons which was annoying. That’s been hard for the gaffer as well. You’ve got to remember, it was something like 14 or 15 players missing for the last game of last year from the squad that he had originally picked.
“And so it’s tough, the team’s changing all the time because of all the COVID stuff and we can’t help that. So it’s tough and I know that everyone’s having to deal with it but to be down something like 14 or 15 players he had picked in his first squad for that last game and have to make all those changes is tough.
“But I don’t think that anyone should be down about it. So I’m not personally down and while I can’t speak for everyone I don’t think there should be any more pressure at all.”
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