Ralph Hasenhuttl has publicly stated that he wanted to sign two strikers in the transfer window and he is half way there with the signing of Sékou Mara, but manager is keen to increase his striking options not decrease them.
Last season Saints effectively had four options going forward, Che Adams, Shane Long, new signing Adam Armstrong and loan signing Armando Broja.
That was reduced down to two with Long leaving the club after 8 years and Broja after his loan spell ended.
That has left Saints supporters worried about where the goals will come from next season, that has been placated a little with the arrival of Sékou Mara, but his is only just turning 20 and like Broja he has undoubted talent but it is raw.
The signing of Joe Ariba also offer an attacking option with the former Glasgow Rangers man able to play as an attacking midfielder or as a second striker, so in many respects we are back to where we were a year ago in the striking department.
If that is the case then Ralph seems comfortable, Che Adams is a steady performer who will get you a reasonable amount of goals for a second striker as well as assists, but we need the main striker to get into double figures.
That didn't happen last season, Broja despite a promising spell in the 2nd quarter of the season did not live up to his billing in the second half and only scored twice after Xmas in the Premier League.
Adam Armstrong was a disappointment, he started the season well by scoring on the opening day at Everton, but would only score one more goal although it was a stunning strike against Villa that gave us all three points.
In truth Armstrong was not as bad as some would have you believe, in the first quarter of a season he looked to be forming a good partnership with Adams, but although he was coming close, he just couldn't seem to go on a goalscoring run.
So his demise as a first choice striker was not so much his own form, but the rise of Broja's, in truth Armstrong should have got more of a chance in the final third of the season, but Hasenhuttl persevered with Broja even when it was clear he needed to be taken out of the firing line.
Whether this was a ploy to try and convince the Albanian from Slough that his future lay with Saints we will perhaps never know, what we do know though is that the goals did not flow for Broja and Armstrong never got the chance to show what he can do.
But Adam Armstrong has not complained and he has worked hard, he has looked good in preseason and scored twice and it could be that he is now ready to kick on.
Last season I think his problem was that he found it hard to adjust to the pace of the Premier League, he was taking an extra touch and not getting his shot away, that was the case away at Newcastle where he could have scored, but luckily before he shot he was fouled for a penalty and James Ward Prowse scored from the spot kick.
Likwise away to Manchester City he was right through and brought down, a penalty was avoided, VAR seemed to show he was fouled, but the referee's original decision was still reversed.
Armstrong was then snatching too much at chances and struggling and up stepped Broja.
But now he seems to be back on form, OK it is only friendly matches, but for strikers it is a confidence thing and they like to put runs together, hopefully the run can continue. Certainly Ralph seems to be thinking he can kick on in his second season.
"I think this is the most important season (second season) because when you are coming the first year it is always tough.
"This season he should get more chances to play and chances to score.”
But although he would perhaps be comfortable with the options he has got and he will be looking at Armstrong to play more and certainly score more, Ralph Hasenhuttl has the money to spend and it looks like there will be another striker on the cards, Moussa Dembele.
The whispers are growing again about Dembele, at 25 he is entering what should be his peak years, but he has taken time to get there and his 19 goals for Olympique Lyon last season have thrust him back into the spotlight again.
If Saints don't get him or indeed another striker then I am confident that we can improve on last season's goal total of 43, which although not great was far from the worse in the division, in fact it was 13th best whereas our defence was 18th best, so the real issue was not up front but at the back.
We need our strikers to net 20 goals + between them rather than the 16 that the quartet from last season managed in the Premier League, surely that should be achievable with what we have got now, but an experienced striker would be a help and it seems that Ralph thinks he has improved the defence and now he is focussing on attack.
He could be right, the only known scorer at Premier League level is Che Adams, the rest including Joe Aribo merely have the potential to score at this moment in time, so it might not be before the Premier League season starts, but by the end of this transfer window we might yet see another striker in the fold.