New Watford boss Slaven Bilic was particularly pleased with how his players performed after going 2-0 up at Stoke City and is hoping they can play with confidence for longer periods in games.

Goals from Ismaila Sarr, Ken Sema, Keinan Davis and Vakoun Bayo secured an impressive win on the road in Bilic’s first game in charge, but the Hornets boss felt his side needed that second goal.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “It’s a great win for us, a dream start and well deserved. A clean sheet and four goals. Strikers score goals, that’s what you really want and we were really, really good, especially after 2-0.

“Like everything, you can tell them whatever you want, but they need the proof on the pitch and you need that second goal to unleash the potential, the creativity, the courage and we did exactly that and we were serious until the end of the game.

“It was a very difficult away game, very difficult opponents and an opponent that is in form. Alex Neil’s [teams are] very aggressive, very direct and they caused us problems in the first half and the start of the second half with their directness, with corners, with putting the balls in. We suffered together and we defended as a team, the back four defended great, they were well protected and you give space to our players out wide and up front, they’re good players.”

Asked what he learnt about the players and how they can improve further, Bilic responded: “It’s difficult but I would like them to play when the score is 0-0 or when we are losing 1-0 to play with confidence which is not always easy. You have the crowd, you have the media and they are writing when you are losing, but that is the goal – to play with confidence no matter what the result is.

“Of course I’m happy with the result but it’s the Championship there’s another game in three days time.”