Steve Bruce believes Sunderland are reaping the benefits of easing Asamoah Gyan into Barclays Premier League action.
The £13m signing has been gradually introduced from the bench after he starred for Ghana at the World Cup in South Africa.
Bruce held off starting his new acquisition and instead focused on honing his physical attributes and fitness in training and from substitute appearances.
And the strategy seems to be paying off as Gyan exploded onto the scene on his full league debut, netting twice in a brilliant display against Stoke.
He now has four goals in just two starts - he also played from the start against West Ham in the Carling Cup - plus a further seven cameos off the bench.
"When we first got him here, Asamoah was suffering like everyone else who went to the World Cup," Bruce explained.
"He played, then went on his holidays, came back and the season had started. It is difficult for them to have a rest.
"We let him work physically to be ready for the challenges. As you saw on Saturday, he is something different and his unpredictability will make him a crowd favourite.
"Has has got four goals and has only started two games. He's set himself a nice target and done exactly what he needed to do - let's hope he keeps producing it."
Gyan is expected to lead lines for the Black Cats in their Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur.