In the end, it was all a little understated.
The start of the Mark Hudson era felt a sharp contrast to what we've grown used to under his predecessor.
Steve Morison's press conferences were always good value in terms of their potential to fill column inches. So often punctuated by a standout soundbite. A piece of searing honesty. A, ahem, lively disagreement with a journalist.
READ MORE: Every word from Mark Hudson during his first press conference as Bluebirds boss
Hudson, on the evidence of Thursday afternoon, will handle the media spotlight slightly differently. His opening gambit to the press appeared a little more guarded and pragmatic.
The interim boss starts a new era against Burnley this weekend, and it remains to be seen just how much of the Morison playbook will be changed, particularly when it comes to matters on the pitch.
For some onlookers, the necessary changes feel obvious, and the arrival of a new boss will be seen as an opportunity to implement fresh ideas, and give some players a fresh chance.
Some, for instance, have demanded to see more of Rubin Colwill, a mercurial talent who often flitted between the sublime and the anonymous during the Morison era, but still has something about him that gets Cardiff fans excited.
Morison's justification for keeping him back from the first XI was seemingly based on a belief he wasn't quite ready to handle the demands of Championship football on a regular basis.
But Cardiff's inability to make things click in the final third so often left that premise found wanting, and the perceived reluctance to accommodate him in the first-team picture was, rightly or wrongly, cited by many as a key element in Morison's eventual demise.
A bright cameo off the bench for Wales against Poland has only increased the intensity around the calls for the 20-year-old to see more game-time, and navigating those demands effectively is likely to be one of Hudson's opening challenges.
"I’m not going to talk about previous (managers)," he said when asked about the youngster's struggles to get in the team under his predecessor. "If I talk about Rubin, we know what a talent he is. He wasn’t involved in the first fixture with Wales, he came on in the second fixture. We know what a talent he is.
"Between us and Wales there is a link and communication. He has grown so much over the last six months, physically and mentally, there is a lot of pressure on him.
"He excites us and he excites the fans. He is a good human being and he wants to achieve as much as he can for this club. That’s what he wants and that’s what we want as well."
Certainly Hudson seems aware of Colwill's capabilities, but the Welshman is by no means the only one who might be quietly hoping to benefit from this fresh start.
Curtis Nelson is a player who continues to divide opinion among fans, but may still feel he has something to offer at this level and, with his contract up at the end of the summer, has plenty of incentive to impress.
Tom Sang, who shone brightly during pre-season, fell down the pecking order under Morison, who believed him to be suited more to the role of defensive midfielder rather than right-back. He too is a free agent this summer, and may well feel he's playing for his future.
As will Gavin Whyte. The Northern Irishman just hasn't really made his mark in the capital since his arrival in 2019, but has been in good form for his country recently - and it hasn't gone unnoticed.
"Gav has been excellent," Hudson added. "He has gone away, come off the bench, scored and assisted. He has only just come back from the Tuesday night game where they lost 3-1.
"Gav's attitude to training and to this spot-on has been brilliant."
It certainly feels like the slate has been wiped clean, and Hudson has already insisted that every player will be afforded the chance to impress.
"I think every player should want to grab the shirt and be involved in that team," he concluded.
Whether those on the periphery do enough to be brought in from the cold remains to be seen.
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