"FA Cup humiliation" - Preston fan John Roper slams 4-1 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers

Well let me respond and say that shambolic, humiliating, embarrassing excuse for a performance today did not sit well with me Alex either. There are those who will say it doesn’t really matter and that it was only the FA Cup but for my money every game matters and performances like this are just not acceptable.

Three down in twenty five minutes and it looked like we could be in for a real hiding, in fact the record defeat of 0-7 looked in danger after the Wycombe third.

Riis pulled one back just before the break and although the second half was slightly better than the first it was still very, very poor from professional footballers who have as much experience as North End had out on the pitch today.

Alex Neil made seven changes to the side that lost to Nottingham Forest last weekend. For the first 40 minutes of the first half the only way to describe our performance was embarrassing and humiliating. Until Riis gave a us lifeline we looked liked we were going to have to endure a tortuous afternoon.

The game was just three minutes old when Onyedinma gave Wycombe the lead after good work down the right. Seven minutes later the Chairboys were two up when Earl conceded a penalty and Jacobsen converted. North End tried to rally but when Knight made it three in the 25th minute I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Our defending was atrocious and the closing down non-existent.

Luckily we managed to keep ourselves in the game just before the break when Riis was brought down in the box. The striker dusted himself down and converted the spot kick to at least give North End a glimmer of hope going into the second half.Two changes for North End after the break with Alan Browne coming on for Tom Bayliss and Paul Huntington replacing the out-of-sorts Josh Earl.

To be honest the changes made little difference and for the first 20 minutes of the second half it looked like a game somewhere near the bottom of League One – never mind two Championship sides. A couple of half chances for each side before Fisher and Maguire replaced Rafferty and Molumby.

I thought the lad on loan from Brighton did ok but he must have wondered what he had come into such was the dismal performance by North End. Our misery was completed by the home side when Samuel went through after 82 minutes and calmly made if four. Fair play to Wycombe their play was bright, they attacked with plenty of intent and fully deserved their goals and their victory against an atrocious Preston outfit.

Of course, we didn’t lose any points in the league today, thank goodness, but the tactics, general play and body language of those on the pitch and on the bench left a lot to be desired on what was an embarrassing afternoon for North End.

We have pulled off some excellent away wins this season but here we are half way through the season and all I can think about is the number of times this season, and last, that we have played in this manner, completely without direction and devoid of the will and want to go on and win a game.

Alex Neil looked a broken man at the end of the game just lifting his eyes to see if anybody was looking at him and his response to what was going on out on the pitch. I hope he takes this one on the chin and takes the blame. Do not put up a thousand and one excuses as to why we have lost because we have heard it all before.

It seems strange sitting in mid table in the Championship and saying this but I feel like the life blood is draining from Preston North End at the moment. Maybe I’m wrong, time will tell.