6 talking points from Erik ten Hag's first press conference as Man Utd manager

Erik ten Hag has discussed - in few words - how he plans to take Manchester United back to the top with an emphasis on the "project" he's embarking on.

The Dutchman walked into the press room, big smile, and begun shaking hands with a number of journalists before he'd even taken his side. A charm offensive approach to get the media onside early on, given he knows that this may be a rocky road to begin with.

Ten Hag was in the stands as United lost their 12th Premier League game of the season at Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace ran out 1-0 winners with their new coach's expression giving little away with wholesale changes expected on the red half of Manchester.

On the blue half they're celebrating yet another title and that success has only amplified United's shortcomings. That said, Ten Hag claimed all eras eventually come to an end and clearly he wants to be the man to bring down that curtain and make the Red Devils a force once more.

His to do list is anything but short as he gears up for pre-season. We take a look at some of the key takeaways from his first interaction with the media.

1 Making friends - not enemies

Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, two of the biggest names in management over the past two decades, walked into Old Trafford and neither lasted three seasons. Their reputations were unable to guide United back to success, albeit they did capture the odd trophy.

What didn't make their job any easier was taking on the media, in some way showing their frustration. Mourinho demanded "respect" after seeing his team lose 3-0 to Tottenham. Van Gaal called for an apology when he thought reports were circulating - falsely - that he was facing the sack.

Well Ten Hag clearly doesn't want a repeat of that. His actions before sitting down suggest he wants a friendly relationship with the press. Keeping them off his back early on, especially if a result or two goes against them, is likely to be crucial.

2 The Rangnick dynamic

His interim spell has not gone as planned, something the German himself admitted. He's only won 11 of his 29 games, giving himself a less than impressive win percentage. He is though poised to take up a consultancy role with United, something that was decided before Ten Hag arrived.

Rangnick will have picked up plenty of useful pieces of information, some of which may prove advantageous to Ten Hag. He refused to state whether he was planning a debrief with the German and when quizzed on if he was happy to have Rangnick as a consultant he said, somewhat abrasively: "That is on the club".

3 A place for Ronaldo

Signed last summer at the age of 36 - Cristiano Ronaldo scored 24 times for the Red Devils but has faced huge criticism for altering the team's style of play. His qualities seem to be at odds with Ten Hag's philosophy with reports suggesting the Dutchman is ready to sanction his departure.

United are not blessed with forward options, at least ones who are regularly scoring that is. It places more importance on Ronaldo and Ten Hag, in few words, suggested that the No 7 has a role to play in his squad.

Later he was quizzed on if he would speak to Ronaldo about his leadership role, following several tantrums throughout the season. Ten Hag though said he would be speaking to his player before divulging anything to the media.

4 The style question

Following on nicely from Ronaldo's future is just how he would fit into Ten Hag's United were he to remain in Manchester. The Dutchman has previously worked under Pep Guardiola - a man whose principles are unwavering.

United's new manager though seemed to suggest he was ready to be flexible when it came to his tactics. His Ajax side played free-flowing football that was based on possession. He may not have the players to do that at Old Trafford, but that mightn't be an issue.

He said: "Players dictate the way of play. I will line-up my players to get the best out of them"

5 Why Steve McClaren?

The former Middlesbrough and England boss is somewhat defined by his spell in charge of the Lions. The 'Wally with a Brolly' tag has stuck after Euro 2008 qualification failure. Since then he's won the Dutch league with Twente but had some spells in England's second tier with Derby and QPR.

Formerly an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, McClaren will take on the same role as Ten Hag's No 2 - as will Mitchell van der Gaag. The Dutchman thinks highly of his assistants and made that clear when he spoke about the reasons for appointing him. He said: "They both know how to get success - they've won trophies and that is why they are here."

6 Is Maguire the man for him?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first marquee signing was fast tracked into the role of United's skipper. That in itself didn't go down well with some, who felt Harry Maguire didn't have the credentials to take on a job of such stature.

Ronaldo's arrival only complicated things. The global superstar has been a captain elsewhere and demands respect, so much so that there were murmurs of the armband being swapped. Ten Hag insists next season is a new start, which doesn't fill Maguire with confidence, but he did hail the defender as a player.

"I have to repeat that next season is a different season but I think he did a great job," he said. "He's a great player, he's achieved already a lot really also [with his] contribution to Manchester United. So I'm looking forward to working with him."