Terry Venables is relishing his return to south London.

And despite the disappointing beginning to his second stint as Palace manager, El Tel's massive rebuilding programme is already starting to take shape.

The Croydon Guardian caught up with the one of the game's biggest names and most well respected coaches at the club's plush new Streete Court Training Ground last week to find out how he's settling in.

"I've enjoyed it. It's been great because its been non-stop football every day and though it's too early to say too much I think we have the makings of a very good season.

"Mark Goldberg has been terrific, he has been an absolute pleasure to work with. It's early days but these relationships between managers and chairman are very important and I see no reason why it shouldn't continue to be as good as it is at the moment."

On the pitch, a difficult opening to the season has seen Palace pick up just a point from their opening two league fixtures and struggle to a 1-1 draw with Torquay in the first leg of the Worthington Cup.

Venables explained: "We have had a really tough start but we have learnt good things from those games. We have more work to do but we have more players to come in and I am looking forward to the next month. After about 10 or 12 games I will have a good idea about how I feel about the team."

Despite a host of new signings, problems with work permits mean most are still to make their debuts.

But Venables is confident that when the likes of David Ansalem, new signing Craig Foster, Nicky Rizzo and the "Argentinian and Chinese lads" do comein, they will give the team a big boost.

He is also confident of achieving promotion though such is the ambition of the new look Eagles that he is also looking beyond getting back into the Premiership.

He said: "We are trying to create competition where players are consistently looking over their shoulders about whether they will be staying in the first team.

"The short term aim is obviously promotion but in the long term we want to bring in bring boys who are 18, 19, 20 and mix them with our buys to secure the club's future.

"It's a question of trying to gel the new players with the lads we already have at the club. We have just signed the Chinese lads and they are both very good players.

"We have a lot of good players around and some excellent injured players like Marcus Bent and Neil Shipperley to come back in and when everyone is back and available we will have a very strong squad."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.