Niall Moran feels Tipperary need to show patience after a hammering from Limerick left manager Liam Cahill promising changes and the Premier public pessimistic.
Tipp had drawn with the four-in-a-row All-Ireland champions in Munster last year in Cahill's first campaign in charge and kept pace with them at the Gaelic Grounds for the first 25 minutes on Sunday.
However, they went in five points down at the interval and were outmatched in the second half, running out 15-point losers in a game marred by a serious injury to Limerick forward Peter Casey.
"Limerick showed huge improvement from the Clare game, especially after half-time," former Treaty forward Moran told 2fm's Game On.
"Tipp hurled okay in my book but the problem was, how they were set up, the wind was a major deterrent in getting the deliveries in deep enough. The ball was landing short of its desired target, in around where Limerick had free men.
"They went in 12-7 after half-time and the feeling in the ground would have been that with the wind that was there, every bit of that lead was needed.
"When Tipperary had it back to four points, Aaron Gillane's goal came out of nowhere, an exceptional finish, and the sense was the Tipperary heads just completely dropped."
Following the crushing 2-27 to 0-18 defeat, Tipp's worst in championship since the 18-point All-Ireland semi-final loss to Kilkenny in 2012, Cahill promised "consequences" and suggested there would be changes for the clash with his former team Waterford this Saturday evening.
But Moran believes it would be hasty to write off young players who are finding it hard to fill the gaps left by recently retired greats like Padraic Maher, Brendan Maher and Seamus Callanan.
"Tipperary are going home with a bag full of headaches but maybe no different to their neighbours in Clare maybe it's a time for cool heads," he suggested.
"There is frustration in a county like Tipperary because they're not accustomed to having to wait to produce top-quality players.
"What you’re finding is there are good hurlers coming but they’re maybe not the quality Tipperary have been accustomed to. When something like that happens, you bide your time. You’re going to have to give them time to bed in.
"Liam Cahill is a very good manager. He has made a good job of them. I know there was a bit of frustration in his words after the game but they will come with a little bit more against Waterford.
"If they were to take a leaf out of anyone’s book, Clare under Brian Lohan, in his first couple of years they weren’t very successful. It wouldn’t have been beyond the realms of possibility that he would have stepped down or have been asked to step down after two years with no major success.
"Maybe you just have to give these lads their shot again. It's a league championship and you have to treat it like that"
"But I just think, a little bit of time. Clare were willing to wait and I think in Tipp’s case they are going to have to be willing to wait.
"But if they can hold their counsel for six days’ time… I know Liam spoke about personnel change but if you’re training for eight weeks coming up to something and it goes wrong in one game, you can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
"Maybe you just have to give these lads their shot again. It’s a league championship and you have to treat it like that.
"You’d expect a lot more from Tipperary next weekend."
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