It’s full steam ahead now for Saints after they proved pre-season is back on track.

Though friendlies are never an accurate gauge ahead of a new campaign, there was a slight sense of concern after the 3-0 defeat at Derby.

It was much less the result, and more the performance.

There was a feeling that Saints were perhaps slightly behind where they ideally wanted to be at that stage of the summer.

Of course, there were difficulties to take into account - new signings and returning players having only had a matter of days to settle in, some World Cup stars not even back.

But even so there was a fear that Saints had slipped a little behind.

It seems hardly surprising given Mark Hughes had to take his squad out to China for a fortnight. With the best will in the world, and understanding the commercial reasons clubs travel so far these days, especially when in this case there is a Chinese owner, it is far from an ideal start to Premier League preparations from a sporting sense.

Derby perhaps served as a warning that it was vital Saints really found a way to make up for lost time.

Thankfully, in Hughes and his coaching staff Saints have people know exactly what to do.

Hughes was glowing in his talk of the week the squad have just had in France.

Saints know the facilities there are great, the hotel excellent, the climate ideal. It is just the perfect setting if you are taking the side away.

And so it proved with what Hughes regards as a top week of training ended in style with a victory over Dijon.

It all served to return Saints back to England to finish off preparations with a couple of weeks at Staplewood and home games against Celta Vigo and Borussia Monchengladbach feeling they are right on track again.

Even more pleasing was to see a clean sheet and goals for two of the club’s strikers.

With ten days until the close of the transfer window, and uncertainty over whether Saints will be able to recruit another player, Hughes will have wanted to see what he has at his disposal currently come up with the goods.

There is still a chance for at least one new face to arrive at St Mary’s, but the club are in a position where they feel they need to wheel and deal in the market to make a really significant incoming happen.

And, to be fair, if Saints are to sign somebody else that is what they need.

It would be a case of strengthening in the attacking department, but there would be no point in just bringing in somebody for the sake of it who just ends up as another squad member. They have the depth of players there to cover for that already. There would only be sense in bringing in extra frontline quality capable of improving the starting line-up.

Given Saints have had to loan out three of their recent transfer flops this summer rather than sell them, and having a net spend of £36m so far, they could do with bringing some cash in to fund a really big deal.

There are players who could move on yet, and at least one or two of those could generate some good money. There are a couple of fringe players who could also go and contribute to a pot to spend.

But all this is a lot of work in the last week-and-a-half, and Saints would need good fortune on their side for the stars to align and all this to happen at the correct times to get everything done.

For now, all Hughes can concern himself with is working with what he’s got and assuming that is it when the Premier Legate season begins.

Hughes started against Dijon with three centre halves, playing a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Saints, playing in their newly unveiled third kit, had an early chance as a half-cleared corner was knocked across by Shane Long to Manolo Gabbiadini, but he fired over.

The provider turned goalscorer as Saints took the lead on 27 minutes as Stuart Armstrong fed in Ryan Bertrand down the left and his precise centre was turned in in simple fashion by Long.

There was nearly another for Saints before the break but Gabbiadini could only head wide.

Hughes made five substitutions at half time but Saints wasted no time in furthering their advantage, doubling the lead moments after re-start.

Charlie Austin’s ball over the top found Dijon wanting defensively but there was no mistake form Gabbiadini who lifted it over the advancing keeper for 2-0.

Dijon threatened only occasionally and their best chances resulted in fairly routine saves.

It all added to the sense that Saints are heading in the right direction again at the right time.

Saints: McCarthy (Gunn 46), Bednarek (Stephens 46), Vestergaard, Hoedt, McQueen (Reed 66), Romeu (Ward-Prowse 66), Hojbjerg (Davis 46), Bertrand (Targett 75), Armstrong (Elyounoussi 46), Long (Austin 46), Gabbiadini (Redmond 66).