Well a wins a win but how can a so called big club start so many games in such a flat unmotivated manner.
That 1st half was an abomination. Totally unforgivable, especially after Bournemouth. Thank goodness we actually have it in us to recover games !
Got out of jail there. Another crucial, late Giroud goal to get us over the line. Not a good performance by any means, but at least we're through. Just wanted to say that I'm not sure why we keep playing Maitland-Niles at right-back when I'm sure his best performances (at youth level) have been in midfield. Doesn't look like a natural right-back and struggled all game against McGeady and that Hogan fella when he came on. I don't think that's his future position.
He was really poor at RB, a complete liability. To be fair he didn't have much help, but he just got done time and time again. Overall it was a really poor performance tonight, even in the 2nd half although we rescued it, we were still slow to the ball at times and kept giving the ball away. Against a better team we would have been punished heavily for those mistakes. But, as you say, we are through and after all that, it is all that matters
Don't know about you but I'm worried, all we seem to be doing is digging out results,how many games have we actually played really well in.
Giroud and Ramsey saying they were surprised by Preston,sums everything up for me we must have prepared really well for this one.
Given the performance against Bournemouth in the 1st half, there is no way that we should have had another episode like that. That is just poor preparation. The flip side is that even though we're not playing well, we're still grinding out results. If we can find some of our earlier form again, then we're in good shape, but we need to switch the **** on from minute one !
You just have to wonder about why our players get so complacent, even against lower league opposition. A tie against a traditionally big club at home, chance to progress to the next round of the cup and get some extra dosh, playing under the lights with a packed stadium. Everyone was bound to be up for the game. Crazy how we can be "surprised" when lower league teams get a once in a lifetime draw and think they won't increase their level of performance against us.
It's very rich of you to accuse any other side of being lucky when your mob have benefitted from the most fortunate decisions throughout your history, particularly under Alex Ferguson. You're not in any position to be saying other teams are 'lucky'.
So anyway, now that the dust has settled, although that was a terrible 1st half performance, you have to give credit to the players for hauling us back into it and getting the win
Meh, I really don't think they do. It's not like they overcame some tricky trials and tribulations put in front of them by an external force. They simply hauled themselves back past their own mediocrity and poor start. You can't given credit to someone for jumping a hurdle that was only there in the first place because of themselves anyway.