Erik ten Hag can drown out the noise. At the WACA on Thursday, there were endless cries of "Erik" and he was well within earshot. Not once did Ten Hag waver or offer a wave to the fans sheltering from the rain in the Lillee-Marsh Stand.
Those United fans should not take it personally. When Ten Hag is on the grass he might as well be on an island. United media staff made a beeline for him before the session and he brusquely gave them short shrift.
Ten Hag appreciates the supporters. Outside the W Hotel United stayed in Melbourne, there were four different holding areas for supporters. To express his appreciation, Ten Hag had the United players sign autographs and pose for pictures in all four corners.
Also read: United have a new identity under Erik ten Hag
As swirling rain threatened to flood the Optus Stadium mixed zone on Saturday night in Perth, Ten Hag conducted interviews in what was a Twitter tunnel. "Sign De Jong" and "sell Maguire" were two repeated requests. Again, Ten Hag was unmoved.
He was annoyed, though. Annoyed United's focus plummeted so drastically that they let a two-goal lead slip against Aston Villa. United staff were impressed Ten Hag's winning mentality was that intense over a friendly and they feel he has already raised standards.
United figures who deal with Ten Hag on a daily basis stress it is all about the football with him. At the WACA, Ten Hag checked the measurement of the cones that had been laid out by the coaches prior to training.
Ten Hag resisted certain duties the United manager's role entails but he has acquiesced, albeit on his terms. There was not a single post-match press conference but the succinct debriefs have arguably been more effective. No answer is wasted by Ten Hag.
Those who interact with Ten Hag regularly say he has an aura about him and his concise manner means every word carries weight. His English, staccato in his introductory press conference in Manchester and in the preview to the Liverpool friendly in Bangkok, has noticeably improved. Ten Hag seemed more relaxed holding court at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Perth on Friday, smiling more and enjoying an amiable exchange with an English journalist as it commenced.
Ten Hag is not particularly verbose with the players, either. Dressing room sources believe he is feeling them out in training, described as more intense and structured. Many United players had reservations about Ten Hag as they were unsure whether his management matched his coaching. Those concerns have been quickly allayed.
On United's Sunday off in Melbourne, staff saw a lighter side to Ten Hag as he unwound away from AAMI Park, where the players were put through their paces. Staff have encountered a warm side to Ten Hag and found him to be very empowering, developing a good rapport with existing members and those he has brought in.
Club sources have spoken of Ten Hag always having time for them and cultivating a culture of integration so everyone feels involved. Ten Hag attended meetings with staff daily in Thailand and Australia to ensure all processes were correct.
They have been struck by how obsessively dedicated he is to transforming United into a credible force again. A routine as minor as the players putting their feet up on their hotel bed after a morning session is viewed as a portion of training by the fastidious Ten Hag.
After two-and-a-half weeks observing Ten Hag and spending time in his company, it is clearer to see why United appointed him. The squad has a renewed edge and discipline has been restored. As has authority to the United manager's role after four years of erosion.
Any notion an Ajax coach would struggle to command respect in a dressing room of cliques and egomaniacs has been dispelled. The United players have responded positively to Ten Hag's discipline and demands and the unrecognisable playing style they are perfecting is proof they have bought into his approach.
Ten Hag's assistants, Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren, have also quickly imposed themselves. Van der Gaag is a regimented presence in training and McClaren's enthusiasm audible. It is not exactly good-cop-bad-cop but it is a balanced dynamic that combines intense work with enjoyment.
There is no doubting who is in charge, though. Ten Hag becomes more authoritative as training develops and he has been described as much more involved than previous managers.
One seasoned observer said the training is the most innovative they have witnessed in their time at United and marvelled at the amount of drills that were inclusive to the whole squad.
In training and on matchday, Ten Hag admonished Donny van de Beek. He may be a stickler for familiarity as far as the transfer market goes but Ten Hag will not entertain favouritism.
The final question of the tour for Ten Hag centred on Van de Beek's starting performance against Villa: "I think, as all the players, first-half he had a good performance." Ten Hag saw the bait and didn't nibble. What reads as a supposedly positive reply in black and white felt damning to those with dictaphones in their hands.
The compact passing drills in Bangkok were an early test of the players' technique and the attack-versus-defence games a method of perfecting United's new proactive and possession-based style. The team that conceded had to drop to the turf and give 10 punitive push-ups.
United are playing patiently, best evidenced by Bruno Fernandes in the first three games. A player prone to ceding possession impulsively, Fernandes has been more measured with his passing, although there were flickers of regression in the mudbath of the Optus Stadium.
With the demonstrative Ten Hag pitchside, Fernandes nor his teammates can drown out the noise.
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