Silence greeted the first few minutes of Fulham’s opener of the season against Crewe Alexandra.
But open mouths soon turned vocal in appreciation of manager Jean Tigana’s fluid football.
Gone was the boring tedium under Paul Bracewell, sandwiched between the charisma of Kevin Keegan and the French maestro, and in was a class act that looked as if it would win the Championship at a canter - and that was on day one.
Three second-half goals helped the Whites to a club record seven successive league victories at the City Ground and maintained the only 100 per cent record in the First Division.
Forest frustrated Fulham for long periods but were powerless once Louis Saha smacked a 56th-minute penalty - his 10th goal in seven games.
The penalty was awarded after Christian Edwards brought down Lee Clark and they never recovered as Fulham struck twice in two minutes late on to seal the victory.
A Tigana find from his own country, Fabrice Fernandes, made it 2-0 nine minutes from time as he lashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net after playing a neat one-two with Barry Hayles.
And Hayles, the part-time carpenter come good under Tigana, completed the scoring when he calmly lobbed the ball over Forest keeper Dave Beasant.
Saha had already missed a couple of sitters, and former Chelsea midfielder Bjarne Goldbaek hammered a free-kick against Beasant's right-hand upright and Lee Clark also went close.
Forest's only real effort of the first half came after 21 minutes when Taylor dropped a cross and Tony Vaughan saw his shot bundled wide for a corner.
It was much the same in the second half although the home side's brightest moment was supplied by substitute Dougie Freedman but his long-range effort was saved by Maik Taylor.
Clark, Collins, Chris Coleman, sub Paul Trollope, and Freedman were to become managers in their own right, and the one Fulham survivor still a player is Barrington Edward Hayles, to give him his full name, still barrelling past defenders at the age of 42 for Truro City in the Southern Premier.
Nottm Forest: Beasant, Louis-Jean, Edwards, Vaughan, Brennan, Prutton, Bart-Williams, Johnson, Rogers, Lester, Harewood.
Subs: Roche, Freedman, Williams, John, Blake.
Fulham: Taylor, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Coleman, Clark, Hayles, Collins, Goldbaek, Saha, Fernandes.
Subs: Hahnemann, Trollope, Neilson, Boa Morte, Lewis.
Referee: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn)
