The Reds drew 1-1 in last week’s season opener against Sydney FC and despite sharing the points, Jakobsen said the playing group and coach Marco Kurz were happy with the performance.

The former Melbourne City man believes the Reds have all the key ingredients to win silverware this season and was impressed with foreigners Mirko Boland and Ken Ilsø.

United meet Newcastle Jets tomorrow night and play Sydney in the FFA Cup Final next Tuesday.

“We have quality all-round,” Jakobsen told FTBL. "The last game against Sydney, we had players missing and I think we have a very good squad with strong depth.

“We have players that can come on and make a difference, so I’m really happy with our squad.

“Sydney have been one of the strongest teams in the league in the last two years. We got a good result, and a very good start, so we need to be able to match up against some of the best teams. It’s good to see we’re on the right track.

“Newcastle and Sydney are some of the stronger teams in the A-League. Tomorrow’s game is going to be a tough game and they haven’t changed a lot in their personnel.

“They have some good players, so we need to be 100% focused from the first whistle otherwise we can get into trouble. We need to be focused and deliver at a high level.”

Jakobsen was City captain last season and while Spaniard Isaias wears the armband at Adelaide, he said he was still a leader to the younger players.

“For me, it doesn’t matter if you have the band on your arm or not. If you’re an experienced player, you should take your part in leading on the pitch,” the 32-year-old said.