Saints travel to Austria on Wednesday for a training camp and two friendly fixtures as we head into the final few weeks before the Premier League season starts. Find out the details here.
After the soft landing of the first couple of weeks or so of pre season where the squad reconvenes, is tested for fitness and then starts to build up that level, we now come to the next phrase and that is the summer training camp, this year in Austria on the banks of Lake Worthersee.
They will travel there on Wednesday and on Saturday will play their first friendly of the summer, making a short trip to the Lavanttal Arena in Wolfsburg to take on RB Leipzig.
This is the Austrian Wolfsburg and not the German city of the same name, the game will be played at the home of Wolfsberger AC and has a capacity of around 7,000, with a running track it could be likened to the Withdean in Brighton.
This will be low key, it will be more about getting a feel for the ball and making sure no one picks up any minor knocks, Ralph Hasenhuttl in the past has put out different squads for different friendlies and could do the same here, although being the first game it could be about everyone getting a game.
The team will play again only two days later, this time at the Worthersee Stadion where they take on the home side SK Austria Klagenfurt, they play in the top League in Austria nd the stadium holds 30,000, however it is rarely filled as Klagenfurt only has a population of 100,000.
Upon returning home the team will step up the training and then travel to Wealdstone's ground to take on Watford on Saturday 23rd July, tickets will be limited for this one and it is unclear how many Saints will get if any.
Then the home friendlies start, Wednesday 27th July 7.45pm kick off sees AS Monaco arrive at St Mary's, tickets for this go on sale to season ticket holders today July 11th and there is a two day window where season ticket holders can buy tickets at £10 for adults and £5 for kids.
On Wednesday 13th July it is a general sale and prices will rise to £15 adults although will stay at £5 for kids.
On the match day they will rise to £20 for adults and £10 for kids, a little short sighted I feel as it is not encouraging a walk up on the day, lets be blunt who is going to fork out £40 for an adult & two kids, £25 yes maybe.
Fast forward to the Saturday and it is the turn of Spanish side Villarreal to play at St Mary's this time with a 3pm kick off.
Ticket prices are exactly the same structure as the AS Monaco game, although in this case the season ticket window has already passed so Adult tickets are now all £15, rising to £20 on the day of the game.
Going back to my point about match day rises, this is very short sighted as it discourages walk ups on the day, something that in past friendlies has been a significant, but with two games at St Mary's in the space of 3 days, it is even more stupid.
After this game there is a week to go before the Premier league season starts, training by now will be more about maintaining that peak fitness level that has slowly been built up to over the past 5 weeks and should now be 100%.
There could be a behind the scenes friendly during the early part of midweek, but that will depend on how the coaching staff feel, with the Football League having already started on July 30th it would more likely be against another Premier League team or squeezing in a European side already over here.