AS he complains about having to do a string of media interviews, Radi Majewski is struggling to keep a straight face.
It is a running joke at Nottingham Forest that the little Pole uses the language barrier as an excuse to duck out of such duties, even though his English has been perfect for some time, since he first arrived in the city almost four years ago.
And, after finally being cajoled into facing the press again, he wanders into the room already muttering complaints, albeit through a knowing, cheeky grin.
Last season, after scoring a hat-trick against Crystal Palace, Majewski demonstrated that he was equally sharp witted off the pitch, when he jokingly – but sternly – rebuked then manager Steve Cotterill for daring to interrupt what was probably his last interview, while live on radio, insisting 'when you score a hat-trick, you can talk'.
And, Majewski, you sense, is in similar mood as, midway through his latest rambling complaint, he suddenly stops to ask 'Anyway, are we going to start this interview or what?'.
It is the kind of change of tack that has left many Championship defences flat-footed this season.
But, as he gradually makes the transition from humorous to serious, you start to get a sense of the other side of the midfielder's character.
When he does get talking – in better English than some players who were born in this country – Majewski comes across as a man with clear, pin-sharp focus.
And, as Billy Davies' side head to Millwall for a game they know they must win if they are to have a hope of securing a play-off place, Majewski is clearly ready for the challenge.
"Can you enjoy games like this? I know I feel much better when I have this kind of motivation; when we are playing for something important," says Majewski, who scored five goals in three games as Forest kick-started a run of six consecutive wins back in February.
"I am a competitive person, everything I do has to be a competition, whether it is in training or in games.
"I am not a gambler, but I have a will to win. I want to win in everything I do. I can find myself in games like this.
"I would be very happy if I score in the last two games and we win. If I can do that, I will be very happy.
"But now is not the time to think about individual performances, now is the time to focus on being a team.
"That is where we are."
Forest head to a ground where they have rarely tasted much joy in the past, winning only twice in 26 visits since 1929.
But they are also up against a Lions side who are struggling for confidence at the New Den, where their ten defeats this season have left them with one of the worst home records in the Championship.
"I did not know that, I didn't know about their home record," says Majewski. "But it is just a statistic.
"I don't think Middlesbrough were in good form when we went there – and we lost the game.
"That does not tell us about their mood, it does not tell us about their confidence or about how well they are playing.
"What we need to do is remind ourselves of our own good times, of what things were like when we were on a good run.
"We have to get back to that, because we need three points.
"We need to win, because we want to keep our hopes alive for the last game against Leicester."
Majewski admits Davies has been an inspiration since he returned for a second spell as manager.
"There is a lot of change when a new manager comes in, there always is," says the Pole. "But I know him from before and he gives me confidence.
"I scored some goals and we won some games, we won six in a row. But I have not scored in quite a few games now, so it is difficult to explain.
"When you are in form, you can do what you want (on the pitch) and it all works for you.
"Now we have to forget about the past, forget what has happened in previous games and just worry about beating Millwall. That is it.
"It is not the time to think about individuals, it is about playing as a team. That is our strength.
"We cannot afford to drop points against Millwall. There is nothing else we can say about that game."
Since Davies' returned as manager, Darius Henderson is the only striker to have scored for Forest, with Simon Cox, Dexter Blackstock and Billy Sharp all on something of a barren run – and Henderson is suspended for the trip to face his former club.
But Majewski reiterates his belief that Forest will only succeed as a team, if they are to make the top six.
"Yes, the strikers have not scored in a while, but we are a team," he adds.
"If the strikers do not score, we have the players who can get a goal from other positions.
"It may be a time for the strikers now, in this position – but the midfielders also need to prove that we can keep scoring as well.
"It does not matter who scores the goals, it does not matter if Karl Darlow scores the goal, as long as we win the game.
"That is the only thing that matters.
"This is the time for us to show what we are, if we want to be in the play-offs.
"It is a strange season, we have had three managers and we cannot forget about that.
"But we can still be there. Forget about the past, forget about the good runs, the bad runs – just focus on Millwall.
"We cannot think about the fact that we have not scored in three games, but we had been scoring quite a few in our previous run. Now we just need to get back to that."
In the space of ten minutes, Majewski has demonstrated that he can be as incisive off the pitch as he is on it.
Then he is reminded that he still has television interviews to do and the playful persona returns as he walks out the exit.
"No, no, really, surely I have done enough . . ."
