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.

“It’s normal in my mind that I have to help, especially in our side because we have a lot of young players. It’s nice to be able to use my experience to help them.

“I think I’ve made a good transition from Melbourne City and I’m liking it so far. The pre-season has been tough and we got through it.

Jako has turned to red from light blue, but is still a leader in Adelaide

“I was happy with our performance against Sydney, we delivered well compared to some of the other pre-season matches. It’s been very positive.

“Adelaide is similar to Melbourne I’d say, but it’s not as busy. The beach is nearby and the family has settled. My biggest concern was moving, but they’ve made that transition very well, so I’m really happy.”

Jakobsen also said he enjoyed playing along fellow Dane Ilsø and recalls playing each other in the early stages of their career in the Danish Super League.

He added: “It’s nice to have someone that can speak the same native language as me, so I’m happy with that.

“I’ve played a lot of times against him in Denmark, we know each other well and we have a lot of mutual friends, so we’re getting along really well.”