Erik ten Hag gesture to fans shows he is settling into Manchester United manager's role

There are two games to go and another city to tick off but we will leave this tour with a higher opinion of Erik ten Hag.

Having had the privilege to observe Ten Hag in training and spend the best part of half-an-hour with him in a setting devoid of camera lenses and lights, it is impossible not to be impressed by him.

Authority has been restored to the United manager's role and Ten Hag is a disciplinarian. We knew that while researching him prior to his appointment and it has been evident in Bangkok and Melbourne. He is as concise a talker with the players as he is with journalists.

Also read: A smile and a nod of approval - what Ten Hag is like away from the cameras

Ten Hag was more loquacious during our sit down with him on Thursday and, to our surprise, more newsworthy than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in Perth three years ago. That is not a slight on Solskjaer, whose company we enjoyed. There were more burning issues for Ten Hag to address and his answers were enlightening.

United's targeting of Dutch-affiliated players has been a source of fascination to supporters, never mind journalists, so it was a jolt to hear Ten Hag express his desire to sign English players. United are restricted there as they are not in the Champions League and the English tax is harsher on them than any other club.

There were some lighthearted moments, too. Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail asked Ten Hag what his equivalent of The Hairdryer is. "I don't need a hairdryer," he replied, motioning to his bald head.

This correspondent committed a Freudian slip by mentioning his Ajax side had reached the Champions League final in 2019. There was a quick correction and Ten Hag approved the rephrased "should have reached the Champions League