Monday 21 December 2015 06:28, UK
Phil Taylor still showed signs of self-doubt during his opening win at the World Darts Championship, says Wayne Mardle.
The 16-time champion, who is yet to win a major title this year, started his campaign with a 3-0 win against Japanese qualifier Keita Ono at Alexandra Palace.
But Taylor seemed to have few teething problems with his brand new darts, which are 2mm shorter and four grams lighter, and only made a solitary 180 during the match.
Sky Sports expert Mardle believes the 55-year-old lacked his usual assurance and will not be such a feared opponent for his rivals.
He didn't look like a man that someone should fear. He didn't look like a man that is carrying himself well and confident in what he's doing.
"Overall he didn't look confident to me at all. Scoring wise, his grouping, I thought, was poor. Forget 180s, I don't really care about 180s. The 140s he was getting there, but the grouping - they were one side and one the other of the 60.
"Phil Taylor is known for putting one on the bottom wire and forcing one on top. He wasn't stacking at all."
Asked about Taylor's new darts, Mardle said: "If he says 'I loved them, I got on well with them,' then I don't believe it, I really don't.
"He didn't look like a man that someone should fear. He didn't look like a man that is carrying himself well and [is] confident in what he's doing.
"What we've got to remember is, he still is one of the very, very best darts players in the world. I just don't think he believes it any more, I really don't.
"He could go on and win this title, playing at 60 or 70 per cent, that's how good he really is. But he's got to start believing the ability that he's got, because we believe it, we can see it day-in-day-out."
Watch day four at the World Darts Championship from 1pm on Sky Sports Darts.
