And so, a new season arrives in west London as if it had never been away.

No-one is entirely sure how it will pan out with head coach Marinus Dijkhuizen having introduced the likes of Akaki Gogia, Lasse Vibe, Konstantin Kerschbaumer, Andreas Bjelland, Philipp Hofmann and Ryan Williams – spot the man from Morecambe – to the squad over the summer.

Exits from Griffin Park have included Stuart Dallas, Jonathan Douglas, Alfie Mawson and Will Grigg, with some of those more expected than others.

Full back Moses Odubajo and striker Andre Gray are the subject of a joint bid from Championship rivals Hull City in a deal that could generate a cool £7million in profit.

This has all happened under the backdrop of owner Matthew Benham’s desire to move to a more sustainable business model that relies less on a benefactor like himself.

Yes, the club is using statistics in mathematics – in harness with traditional scouting methods – to uncover the hidden gems to help push the club into the Premier League.

But let us be clear, this is not being done on the cheap.

A trip to Brentford’s Jersey Road training ground demonstrates the huge strides the club has made in recent years.

Five years ago, Charlie MacDonald’s Range Rover and Kevin O’Connor’s BMW – complete with personalised number plate – were the most eye catching cars in the car park.

Now, the head of communications’ Citroen Picasso stands out because of its ordinariness.

Jota’s Maserati and Josh McEachran’s Porsche are joined by top of the range Mercedes, BMWs and a range of luxury 4x4s.

History will define this era as the moment the Bees began to be taken seriously – on and off the pitch.

If the Moneyball-style strategy means they do not go the way of Portsmouth, Blackpool and other cash-strapped clubs before them, then Benham has already won the game.