Carlton Cole is working hard in training in the hope of leading the way for West Ham United to victory when they travel to Hull City on Sunday week.
The in-form striker, who has scored four goals in eight appearances this season and needs just two to match the haul he took from 37 games in 2007/08, is already looking forward to the game. He is especially keen to put the 3-1 defeat by Bolton Wanderers firmly behind him. "It wasn't to be [on Sunday], now we just look forward," he said. "We don't have another match until after the internationals, but we will be focusing on bouncing back in that game.
"It was a bit subdued in the dressing room as it was the first loss under the new manager. But we will put the game behind us now. We are all positive and he [Gianfranco Zola] knows we will look to bounce back in our next game."
Cole has picked a good time to find his goalscoring touch as competition for places in the starting XI increases. The No12 and his two strike partners, Matthew Etherington and David Di Michele, have shone in recent matches and all found the target. They will be all too aware that Craig Bellamy is nearing full fitness and Freddie Sears is in red-hot form after scoring four goals in a reserve game last week.
Experienced Spanish international striker Diego Tristan is also doing well on trial this week as Gianfranco Zola weighs up his striking options. The others in action at Chadwell Heath are not focusing on the Bolton setback but instead on making the most of the forthcoming free weekend. "It's always nice to go into the international break with a win," Cole explained. "But we will use this time to recover and refocus and be ready to face Hull."
Of his third league goal of the season against Bolton - a brave header to get the home side back in the game at 2-1 - Cole said the result overshadowed any joy he got from scoring. "It was good to score again but we didn't win and the most important thing is for us to get a good result. Hopefully I can score again in our next match and we have a better result that is good for the whole of the team."
United were undone by two quick goals from the visitors just after the half-hour mark and, after Cole's goal had given the home side hope, a late Matthew Taylor free-kick wrapped up the game for Bolton. "We were all disappointed at the result. It was just bad luck with their goals. We went into the game very confident and even when they got two goals, we were still confident of getting back into the match.
"After the second goal our heads didn't go down too much, we were lifted and encouraged by the manager and Steve Clarke. We got our goal back and then looked to go on and get more out of the game."