I AM writing regarding the letter from fellow season ticket holder J Harber (Letters, October 5).

I must take issue with three of the statements she makes.

Firstly, that it was the worst performance she had watched in 40 years.

Yes, it was poor, but the worse for 40 years? Fair enough if we had lost 6-0, but a 1-1 draw?

I have only been watching for the last eight seasons but I can easily remember worst performances than the Preston North End match.

How about the 3-0 home defeat by Grimsby in 1994, the 2-0 defeat by Norwich a year later, the 4-0 defeat at Palace, or the 2-0, home defeats to Millwall, Plymouth and Chesterfield in 1996-97?

Even during the two promotion seasons we had some dreadful games including two 2-1 defeats by Walsall and Carlisle. In 1999 there was the 1-0 defeat by Swindon, and last season saw the 5-0 defeat at Fulham and the defeat by Sheffield Wednesday at home, all of which were a lot worse than the Preston draw.

Secondly, she says we should sack Luca after just 12 games and replace him with Peter Taylor.

Taylor spent two years as Perryman's number two, and was widely derided at the time. As for his record as a club manager, at Southend he was sacked after just 14 months in charge after breaking-up a team pushing for the Premiership and ended up fighting the drop to the second division.

At Gillingham he did lead them to promotion to Division One but it was basically with the team he inherited from Tony Pullis.

His record at Leicester speaks for itself. He basically did a Bassett by breaking-up a successful team and bringing in inferior players to the ones he sold.

Finally, she says the old players kicked out by the new regime are better than the ones brought in. Clint Easton better than Stephen Hughes? I don't think so.

Page and Palmer better than Galli and Vega? Kennedy and Perpetuini better than Glass and Gayle?

Yes, Tommy Mooney has not really been replaced, and I did find the selling of Darren Ward a bit strange, but you have to give the manager time to build his own team.

Yes, the start has been disappointing, but letters blowing the situation out of all proportion from the likes of Mrs Harber help no one.

Mark Bunn, Vicarage Road, Watford.

October 19, 2001 9:46