Carlton Cole has been sounding out skipper Kevin Nolan as he prepares to lead West Ham United's attack in the npower Championship.
The England striker is aiming to draw on the captain's knowledge of a successful promotion campaign with Newcastle United two seasons ago. Cole is always one to take on board the experiences of others, especially with the importance of the season ahead.
"I have been talking to Kevin about this," he said. "I have spoken to him quite deeply about it, he said you can expect the first five or six games to be really tough and we have to be as tough as we can be ourselves in that situation.
"Other teams are going to come and test us, so we have to be up for it. That is going to be the real main test, our strength of character, how the team will strengthen and bond, I think we are going to be very strong as a unit. The manager has got us together playing really well."
Cole is certainly fired up and right now his career ambitions are focused on to helping the team right a wrong at West Ham and return them to the Premier League. He accepts he has not played as many minutes as he would have liked this summer, but is eager to catch up quickly on his match fitness.
"We want to progress - we didn't do too well last year and players that are still here, we all felt the pain of going down - it really hurt.
"But I have got a new frame of mind now, a new outlook on things and my main aim is to help us get back in the Premiership as soon as possible, because that is the only way we can heal our wounds."
Cole is relishing the start of the action on Sunday afternoon with the visit of Cardiff City. Rather than be downhearted, the big No9 said he and his team-mates were determined.
"All the lads are looking forward to it, in fact we are buzzing for it, and it is a new challenge for a lot of us here. I have never, personally been in the position we find ourselves in before, in the Championship, so it is going to be a real tough test for us.
"If we can get off to a good start then I think all of us, the boys and the manager will be very happy about that - get the momentum going to Christmas and then kick on again after that."
Despite plenty of speculation recently that he had bid farewell to the Boleyn, the club's second-longest serving player had other ideas. "Look I have stated before. I am very happy here. I have not left anywhere," he said. "I am a still a West Ham player.
"My agent was keeping me informed but I wasn't involved as such in any of the dealings that was being reported, but it wasn't that I had agreed to anything, so that is the bottom line really. I didn't agree to leave the club and that is that, where I want to leave everything."
He certainly feels he can achieve his long-term ambitions at club and national-team level while playing in east London, and will argue the point with anyone who believes otherwise.
"West Ham is a massive club and we are always in the media and everything, so performing on the field, winning games and scoring goals, defending well, being top of the league, you are going to get noticed.
"We've got a great bunch of lads, got good team spirit. Kevin Nolan I can't speak more highly of, he is really, really good in the changing room. Him plus Scott Parker and the other senior pros, it is just a really good atmosphere to be in at the moment."