Erik ten Hag was talking about dressing room discipline when the subject of Sir Alex Ferguson’s fabled hairdryer came up in Melbourne on Monday.
For a moment, the bald-headed Dutchman looked puzzled before breaking into a broad smile. ‘But I don’t need the hairdryer!’ grinned Ten Hag.
It was the one moment of levity in an otherwise serious yet engaging half-hour in the company of Manchester United’s new manager. Ten Hag is every bit the studious, demanding coach he is made out to be; a man who knows what he wants and has not come to United to fail.