A smile and a nod of approval - what Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is like away from the cameras

The smell of chlorine lingers in the corridors of AAMI Park. Melbourne Victory players are on site and professional swimmers emerge from the pool panting.

It is raining outside and David de Gea shuffles through, flanked by a press officer.

"Like Manchester, eh?" he laughs, referring to the winter weather. But we are not here to talk to De Gea.

In the media theatre, Erik ten Hag is holding court with the broadcast journalists. Outside, 10 of us members of the written media are patiently waiting to be summoned for our sit down with the new Manchester United manager.

Also read: Ten Hag explains United's midfield strategy amid De Jong pursuit

After a 15-minute wait, we are ushered in by another press officer. A club security minder is sat on the plinth and hunched over. Ten Hag is stood and greets us individually with a handshake. The 'offender' who had the temerity to stay seated when he pressed the flesh in the Old Trafford press room is on his feet this time.

Eleven chairs are placed in a circle, resembling a group therapy session. Some United fans might have needed some counselling after last season, their worst in decades and so egregious their home and away followings belted "You're not fit to wear the shirt", a nadir in player-matchgoer relations.

Ten Hag is a suitably sobering choice to cure hangovers. Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, drunk from a superb European Championship, have fresh competition, as does Bruno Fernandes in Christian Eriksen. Frenkie de Jong, a potentially transformative transfer, remains an active target and a forward is wanted.

More fascinating than United's market movement has been Ten Hag's approach on the training pitch. Comfortable with delegating to assistants Steve McClaren and Mitchell van