'Will it last?' - Leeds United fans don't miss Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha amid Elland Road revival

It was never going to be easy to let go of two of the most talented players the club has seen in years within the same transfer window, but on the whole, the pair departed LS11 with the blessing of the Elland Road faithful.

Grateful supporters could hardly believe their luck that Raphinha had ever been a Whites player in the first place, and took solace from the romanticism of the Brazilian’s departure, as he left West Yorkshire to pursue his childhood dream of following in his countryman Ronaldinho’s footsteps and playing for Barcelona.

Phillips, meanwhile, was born in Wortley and made in Thorp Arch under Marcelo Bielsa’s watchful eye – but as soon as the buds of the Yorkshire Pirlo’s talent first emerged, fans accepted that one day he would seek pastures new.

But the exits came at a moment of transition for Leeds, when for every fond farewell message, fans had two questions about the future and what the following season would look like.

Wednesday’s mid-season friendly between Barcelona and Manchester City, organised to raise funds for research into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, could have been the subject of envious, sad glances by the fans Phillips and Raphinha left behind.

It was a big moment for Phillips who, after playing just one minute of Premier League action so far this season, was named in Pep Guardiola’s starting eleven at Camp Nou, while Raphinha was also selected to start the game.

While the the former United stars were battling out a 3-3 friendly draw in Catalonia, Leeds were going through the motions of a Carabao Cup second round tie – in which Phillips’ new club City earned a bye by virtue of competing in the Champions League.

The opening Carabao Cup tie is not traditionally a box-office moment for English football fans, but such is the enthusiasm for the new Leeds era at the moment that more than 35,000 fans were attracted to Elland Road to watch the Whites take on League One Barnsley.

After Leeds won just four Premier League fixtures in LS11 last season, Elland Road is becoming a place of joy again, and the masses who showed up to watch United claim their third successive home victory on Wednesday is a testament to the excitement building around Jesse Marsch’s project.

Indeed, the tie itself was an exciting indicator of where his now well-resourced squad is headed. Without hitting full speed, Marsch’s second-string team were untroubled by the Reds – a far cry from the dreadful league results suffered last term, when injuries forced Marcelo Bielsa to pit a B-side against top-tier opposition.

In another universe, Leeds could be winless and 19th in the league table, with seven out injured and signings failing to integrate into the squad – then, the sight of the men who built the club’s past successes thriving elsewhere would be seriously unsettling.

For now, though, Whites fans can’t be distracted by Phillips and Raphinha – as it’s all eyes on Leeds United.

“Heroes leave and new ones are created,” tweeted Leeds fan @TBradley23. “Right now [Brenden] Aaronson and[Tyler] Adams appear to be making it a lot easier to forget that we relied heavily on Raphinha and Phillips.

"Will it last? Who knows...!”