Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez was thrilled to kickoff his Latics tenure with a 2-0 win at Aston Villa.
Hugo Rodallega and Jason Koumas struck for the Latics and Martinez beamed: "I always felt that we had too many disruptions this pre-season and we knew the key to the game was going to be the first 10, 15 minutes, and Aston Villa didn't disappoint us.
"They put us under massive pressure, they looked very, very sharp, and I'm proud of the players for the way they dealt with that situation. After that, Wigan Athletic deserved to win today.
"It's been a big turnaround and credit should go to the players."
When asked if he would employ the free-flowing football on show in every match this season, the Spaniard replied: "Yes. As always in football you need to find solutions, you need to be wary of the opposition, but football is about enjoying yourself and making sure you can express yourself as well.
"In football, if you are not going to enjoy the game, you are in the wrong business.
"I take pride in the high standards of the players but I want them to enjoy their football, I want them to be creative and I want them to put a smile on the supporters' faces, and they did that."