Saints kicked-off their preparations for the new season with a polished performance and a 4-0 win over Jonkoping Sodra.

Anders Svensson and David Prutton hit the target twice as Saints looked sharp and incisive against the Swedish division two east leaders.

There was a clear difference in class between the two sides.

But there was little to choose between the fitness levels of the two teams - despite the fact confident Jonkoping are ten games into their season, having won nine times already.

That will doubtless encourage Gordon Strachan who adopted an 'as you were' policy to his team. A few of the faces had changed through injuries, but it was the same system and style of play as Saints fans got used to last season.

One of the few changes was the appearance of Anders Svensson in attack.

It was a policy Strachan adopted a few times last season but it really looked good on this occasion. The Swedish star was employed to play a role just off of James Beattie and played it brilliantly with flicks, touches and two great goals. He bossed the game for Saints.

After a couple of comfortable saves from Jonkoping's first half keeper Ulf Thorsson, Saints made the breakthrough on 14 minutes with a wonderful strike from Svensson.

Matt Oakley's quick free-kick found Paul Telfer whose chip up-field was headed back by Beattie to Svensson on the edge of the area. He waited for the ball to drop and curled a right-footed shot into the top corner.

On 31 minutes the lead was doubled when Fabrice Fernandes put a ball in to Prutton who controlled superbly to take him past two defenders before finishing in the bottom corner.

By this stage both Paul Williams - for Fitz Hall - and James Beattie - for Jo Tessem - had left the field injured.

And it was Hall, on his Saints debut, that produced a defence-splitting pass that had a major influence on his new team's third. Hall found Tessem whose first-time right-footed cross was headed in at the far post by Svensson.

After playing some great football in the first half, things quietened down slightly in the second period for Saints. But plenty of changes from Jonkoping didn't make them much more of a threat to Paul Jones. Their only real chance of the game came on 66 minutes when Andreas Nicklasson's cross was headed back across goal by Mihel Kamhie but Michael Svensson hacked it off the line.

But in the scramble of the aftermath, Prutton fouled Joacim Dahlstrom and the referee awarded a penalty, which Fredrik Korutschka smacked against the post before skying the rebound.

From then on in, as it had been up until that point, Saints were totally in control.

Saints wrapped up the impressive looking win nine minutes from time when Prutton, playing on the left-hand side of midfield in the absence of Chris Marsden, scored his second.

Tessem's right-wing cross was met at the far post by Prutton, who side-footed home to wrap-up a promising start.

l French club Metz are claiming that Saints have agreed to sign Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor.

The 19-year-old scored 13 goals last season as Metz won promotion to the French First Division.

Metz spokesman Jean-Marie Schiffmacher said: "Both clubs have found an agreement."

The Echo contacted Saints' press office this morning but were still waiting on a reply when we went to press.