John Coleman says that tomorrow's visitors Burton Albion are the type of organisation other clubs should try to emulate.
The Brewers have had an impressive rise from the non-leagues, with back-to-back promotions to the second tier of English football before suffering relegation from the Championship on the final day of last season.
Nigel Clough's side have six points from their opening six games in League One, but Coleman believes that it is too soon to tell how teams will fare this season.
"It's a bit early to be judging how teams are doing in this league at the moment," said the Stanley boss.
"Everyone keeps telling me that we've started really well but within the camp we don't think that we have, we think that it's an adequate start and we can do a lot better.
"Burton are a model that we have to aspire to. They're a very well run club and have a very good football person in the chairman, and the way the club is run should be a model for most clubs in professional football in how they operate.
"They got a new ground, and where that might have sunk a lot of teams it didn't sink them. They're going from strength to strength and well done to them.
"I don't think too many people in Burton will be that disappointed that they were relegated. It was a marvellous achievement for them to get to the Championship in the first place.
"If we can be half as successful as Burton have been we'll be doing well."
Coleman and Clough were both in charge of their respective clubs when the sides faced each other in the Northern Premier League nearly two decades ago.
"I think this is probably the first time it's happened that two managers, managing against each other in the Northern Premier League go on to manage against each other, with the same clubs, in League One 18 years apart," said Coleman.
"I've got a lot of time for Nigel. You see some players now leave top flight clubs and go straight into a plum job, but he took over Burton when they were in the Southern Premier League.
"He's definitely served his apprenticeship and worked his way up on merit, not just because he was a very good ex-footballer."