Leeds are in good shape, Daniel Farke is even calling Rodon ‘Joe Salah’

Pre-season is often a time for optimism across football. Why do any of us bother if you cannot get excited about your team’s prospects before a ball is kicked?

And then there are the times when your team plays how Leeds United did yesterday and you have to stop yourself from getting carried away. Even more so when it is Leeds.

Most Leeds supporters will tell you that, over the last 25 years, they have been given more than a few reasons to be sceptical when things seem to be going too well. The manner of the 4-0 win over Augsburg may have been triggering for a few of them.

When you park the age-old pre-season caveats of how the transfer window is still open, how a squad can always be improved upon, how opposition can be hit-and-miss and how a team can play better with the pressure off, you can, quite fairly, assess the state of play on its merits.

This was a strong, stable, reliable line-up selected by Daniel Farke that Augsburg, ninth in last term’s Bundesliga, could not live with across an opening 45 minutes. Leeds were dominant, entertaining and efficient. They deserved their 3-0 lead — the first period even featuring an overhead kick scored by their new 6ft 4in centre back Tarik Muharemovic.

It is also fair to say the second half was not as entertaining or effective, but still had positive moments, including the fourth goal of the day, as substitutions were made and the system was changed. One brilliant half against mid-table Bundesliga opposition does not guarantee anything from next Saturday and beyond, but it does give supporters something to cling to and believe in.

Investment is still needed, too. Nico Elvedi, the Swiss international centre-back being drafted in to allow Sebastiaan Bornauw to pursue the minutes he desires elsewhere, is unlikely to be the last man in.

Backups are still needed at goalkeeper, left wing-back and centre-forward. The door is open for starters, as always. A left-wing option may materialise.

This summer, chairman Paraag Marathe told Men In Blazers they want to remain able to do business late in the window if a previously unavailable target comes to market. He said: “It’s important to keep a little bit extra in your kitty so you have the ability to be nimble and flexible on that last day.”

Saturday’s XI, however, missing injured left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson and undercooked forward Noah Okafor, set the table better than adequately for the campaign ahead. This looks like the line-up Farke will choose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, barring superhuman training performance or injury at Thorp Arch.

Even the selection calls which may have been borderline seemed to be put to bed. In midfield, Sean Longstaff has been excellent throughout pre-season and had outshone Anton Stach before this game, but the latter looked back to something like his best with an all-action display which covered every blade of grass.

Anton Stach was back to his best against Augsburg (George Wood/Getty Images)

Brenden Aaronson was arguably the other question mark, but he has been decent this summer and played his part in neat attacking play against Augsburg. Once Okafor is sharper, he may wrestle that spot away from the American.

Goalkeeper James Trafford, now 135 minutes into his Leeds career after his move from Manchester City, was on the end of one of Farke’s on-pitch tactical debriefs at the final whistle. The manager said: “We have a few processes in the build-up, how we want to bypass the opponent.

“We spoke about how, if we see the opponent reacts to this (plan A), we don’t force it too much and go for plan B and C, but we try to give him the signs during the game.”

Trafford was excellent on his home debut. Augsburg did not ask him to save too much, but his positioning, passing and vision were impressive. Time and time again, he found Dominic Calvert-Lewin in advanced positions, or showed the ability to sweep up the ball and then play a pass through the lines off his weaker left foot.

In defence, Joe Rodon was renamed ‘Joe Salah’ by Farke during his post-match huddle with reporters. The Wales international was unleashed as an attacking, upfield threat on the right of United’s back-three last season, but the quantity and quality of his surges have caught the eye this summer.

The defender was repeatedly seen in line with Calvert-Lewin as the most advanced players. His relationship with Jayden Bogle and Ethan Ampadu, in knowing when to venture forward on their right flank, is second nature now.

Joe Rodon has impressed throughout pre-season (George Wood/Getty Images)

Muharemovic not only scored an overhead kick, but continued to look rock solid in defence, alongside Jaka Bijol. Ampadu was as combative as ever, dominating the midfield, while Stach’s early goal set the tone for a performance which reminded everyone of his natural box-to-box ability.

Calvert-Lewin’s importance was only underlined in the quality of the team’s third goal. The weight of touch and speed of one-two with James Justin was poetic. That was the big pay-off, but he was doing it all afternoon.

Keeping the No 9 fit remains one of the most important targets of the season. His chemistry with Harry Wilson is coming. There were a couple of moments where they did not quite read each other, but if they had, they would have unlocked the German side.

That will come. Winning breeds confidence, and the tail is up for the Premier League opener away to Nottingham Forest next Saturday. It all feels strangely calm and well-drilled. Just do not get carried away.