One Manchester United staffer tried to describe Erik ten Hag's thought process during the club's pre-season tour and could come up with three words: "football, football, football".
The 52-year-old was a source of fascination in Thailand and Australia but trying to peel back the layers of the inscrutable Dutchman proved a relatively futile task.
Ten Hag is a dominant presence in every room he's in and every setting he occupies but he usually achieves it through body language rather than words.
He has become a more open communicator with the media but there can still be moments when the conversation dries up, of his own inclination. READ MORE: Where United stand in the transfer window He fixes his inquisitor with eye contact and has an intense glare.