Leeds have started the season very brightly indeed, with two wins from their opening three league games at the time of speaking, including a surprisingly emphatic 3-0 win over Chelsea. What have you made of what you have seen so far?

It’s started the way it had to start. The last time Brentford saw Leeds was on the final day of last season, when everything was on the line. The discussion that has gone on over the summer is whether Leeds stayed up through their own doing or whether there was an element of luck involved given that, if Burnley had won on the last day, they would have gone down anyway.

It left some scepticism about Jesse Marsch and some scepticism about the players. They sold Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha; two of the best, if not the best, players in the squad. The transfer strategy this summer has been aimed at matching up signings and attributes with Marsch’s tactics and system, so it had to work.

In order for Leeds to properly move on from the Marcelo Bielsa era, they needed to play in a way that started to make people think they could invest and get enthusiastic about the Marsch era. I also think they needed to play in a way that showed he was capable of improving on what was a pretty dicey 12-game run at the end of last season.

The first two games of the season were good; there was a lot to take out of them that was decent and worth talking about in a positive way. The win against Chelsea was next level again and I think that’s what everybody needed.

Are we now seeing the real intensity a Jesse Marsch side is capable of?

I would say so. He was saying to people at the club towards the end of that 12-game run that it had become apparent that the tactics and ideas he was going for, he was trying to implement at the click of his fingers. There was very little time and breathing space for him to spend huge amounts of time coaching and working with the players.

This season we really are seeing the effect of Marsch’s coaching, particularly the way they press and counter-press as that is such a big part of his tactical model. But also the vertical play, the idea that, as soon as you win the ball, you are looking to get a shot on goal. You are looking at a matter of seconds before the ball is in the box or around the box and you are putting pressure on their goalkeeper. It’s direct football, without being route one. When they are in possession, they are looking to get it forward – it’s not a case of taking time and being patient.

They look more organised and more structured and, to be fair to Marsch, they look like a team that has been coached by him. Now, I think you are looking at his side, rather than Bielsa’s.

What did you make of Leeds’ business during this window?

I think they had a good window, partly because they knew they were likely to have to sell Raphinha and they got that done reasonably early. Phillips made it clear he wanted to go to City and again, they were able to get that one done without it dragging into the new season and, in fact, early enough that he didn’t have to come back for pre-season training, which would just have been a charade. They pulled in almost £100m for the pair and I think you could probably argue the fees could have been higher, but it’s fair to say neither fee was terrible.

They have been sensible with who they have gone after. They have pretty much committed all the cash that came in, but they haven’t spent ridiculously on individuals - Brenden Aaronson has been the most expensive at about £25m – and they have definitely gone after players who should fit the mould for Marsch.

There’s a feeling up here that they are short of a forward and it would be sensible to add another left-back to the squad as well, but I don’t think they are far off and, without any doubt, they do now have more depth – and depth was a huge issue last season.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

Aaronson has had a very good start to the season. His pressing is terrific and he’s very quick over short distances. He’s really good on the ball; he loves those scenarios where the midfield opens up and he’s able to cover 20-30 yards with the ball at his feet.

Behind him, in a more understated way, keep an eye on Tyler Adams. I don’t know if it would be fair to describe him as a water carrier, but I can imagine people applying that term to him because he just gets through masses of work in the midfield. There’s nothing ridiculously fancy about what he does, he’s just happy to destroy, disrupt, get his foot on the ball and let others play around about him.

How is Marsch likely to set up his side in West London?

It will essentially be 4-2-3-1, but it’s slightly unconventional in that the line of three is basically a line of three No.10s. There are wingers in there - including Jack Harrison and, from time to time, Luis Sinisterra – but the positions they play in are very inverted, so it’s almost like having three central forwards behind the No.9.

From time to time, that looks like an issue and a potential weakness. They rely heavily on the full-backs bombing on to give them a presence out wide.

Leeds ended a long wait for a win at Brentford with an important one on the final day of last season. What’s your score prediction this time around?

I think it could be any result on the day and I don’t think there will be anything between them, but I’m going to go with Leeds bias and predict an away win. I do think there will be goals, though.