Werder Bremen coach Robin Dutt has revealed how his predecessor Thomas Schaaf has offered his support and advice ahead of the new season.
Schaaf ended a 14-year reign as Bremen coach after the penultimate game of last season, once Bremen's survival in the Bundesliga had been secured.
Dutt was recently appointed as his successor after being released from his director of sport role with the German Football Association, and the former Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen coach says he will be tapping into the knowledge of the man who defined an era by the Weser.
"He is extremely cooperative and willing to help," Dutt told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper.
"I have never experienced anything like it."
Under Schaaf, Bremen were almost subscribed to a place in Europe, most frequently the Champions League.
However, a dip in the club's fortunes in recent years meant they have not qualified for Europe for three straight seasons, culminating in Schaaf's departure last month.
Dutt knows he has a tough act to follow but he has warned against lifting expectation levels too high.
"After last season, nobody in or around the club is expecting us to take a huge leap forwards," he said.
"What is required are signals indicating a positive sporting development."
The Northern Irishman landed himself in trouble after describing Celtic as "the monster of Scottish football" following a row with Hoops boss Neil Lennon.
But Killie chairman Michael Johnston says the failure of Shiels' team to reach performance targets means his role as manager will now be re-examined.
Kilmarnock finished ninth in the Scottish Premier League despite needing just one win from their final two games before the split to clinch a top-six slot.
Johnston said: "Kenny's position is under review at present.
"This is due to his failure to meet a contractual performance-related target and potential breaches of contract relating to media comments and observance of Scottish FA articles and rules and SPL articles and rules."
Shiels became involved in a public row with Lennon over the PFA Scotland player of the year shortlist, with the Parkhead manager complaining that none of his players had been nominated for the main award.
The Ayrshire outfit's manager then gave an interview with BBC Radio Scotland at the end of April in which he said: "They have got a massive influence in the judicial panel and things like that, decisions that's made. Celtic are the monster of Scottish football.''
The Killie manager was accused of both bringing the game into disrepute and not acting in the best interests of football by making comments that "call into question the impartiality of the Judicial Panel and the integrity of another member club of the Scottish FA".
He was found guilty of the charge and handed a four-match ban, with two of those suspended until the end of next season.
His club were also found guilty of failing to ensure that Shiels complies with Scottish Football Association protocol.
Kilmarnock were in the driving seat for a top-six finish but could only manage one point from two home matches against St Mirren and Dundee in the final pre-split fixtures.
And they slumped to four defeats in the five post-split games.
