BILLY Davies today revealed he had told Radi Majewski he wanted to see more goals from him, before seeing the Pole respond with a hat-trick in the 6-1 demolition of Huddersfield.
The Nottingham Forest manager admitted it was important to get his first win since returning to the club for a second spell in charge.
And he took great pleasure from seeing both Majewski and Henri Lansbury get on the scoresheet, after telling both players he expected them to find the net more often.
"I have been at Majewski and Lansbury through the week, asking them if they were going to score some goals for this club. I was joking – but we need them to score goals and I meant that when I told them as much," he said.
"We need to see them start to score goals and to get a few assists as well. They have been excellent.
"And getting that first win under your belt as a new manager is very important. I know the press will be reminding you that you have not got it until you have. So it is very important.
"But we just carried on from Saturday and I have nothing but praise for these players. Nothing but praise."
Davies did feel his players could have started the game better, after seeing James Vaughan give the visitors a tenth minute lead.
Forest still went into half time with a 4-1 advantage following Majewski's three-goal salvo and a header from Elliott Ward. Lansbury and Darius Henderson completed the mauling in the second half.
But Davies still wants to see his side tighten things up at the back.
"I thought we started sloppy and slack. We talked about starting well, about keeping good possession and putting in tackles – and we did not do that," he said.
"When we lost the goal, we shuffled things around formation wise and we got a great response. We got back into the game.
"Our attitude was excellent, our work rate was fantastic and great credit to the team for how they went about things; for how they worked.
"I was disappointed with the goals we gave away, as for the second time in two games it came from our possession, from our play.
"But I have to be pleased, really pleased with their work rate. It was excellent. I was also pleased with the fans, because they were top class."
The result left Forest six points behind sixth-placed Middlesbrough, as they closed the gap on the play-off places.
But Davies played down the situation, saying: "There is a lot of work to do here, to not be kidded.
"But I can see our game speed changing. We were too slow in our game speed when I first came in, but it is getting quicker.
"Our energy is getting better and we are understanding what we are trying to do."