This piece is an extract from yesterday's McDiarmid Memo newsletter, which is emailed out at 6pm every Thursday.

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George O’Boyle x Roddy Grant, John Brogan and his many attacking teammates including McCoist and Brannigan, Kenny Deuchar x Andy Jackson, Cillian Sheridan x Fran Sandaza, Jason Scotland x Peter MacDonald, Steven Milne x Derek Holmes and Steven MacLean x Stevie May.

The list of top St Johnstone strike partnerships is endless and how the club could do with another one forming this season, and in quick time too.

Two up top slowly but surely seems to be becoming a tactic of the past but given the success the club have built with the attacking shape, surely it is an option that manager Steven MacLean will be contemplating going forward.

Saints head to St Mirren this weekend still desperately looking for their first three points of the league season. Leaking sloppy goals has been an issue, but the lack of attacking threat has certainly been the biggest downfall so far this campaign.

Injuries have not helped matters, but with Chris Kane and Nicky Clark now available and appearing to be back to full fitness, the formation of a strike partnership may well be the difference between Premiership or Championship football next term.

We Saints fans had a glimpse of what Clark and May could offer together last season and MacLean will be hoping that relationship can form again. May looked like he had a new lease of life playing alongside the former Rangers man, and he could do with that kind of boost again as he aims to return to form.

Kane’s full-throttle approach and intelligent front play is also something the team miss dearly when he is not involved. The combative forward is integral to getting Saints up the pitch and his ability to win fouls and keep a defence on their toes is something we have not had since he has been out injured. Kano proved his worth during the cup-double winning season and he needs to try and find that form again now with his short-term contract running out in January.

‘What is the strongest partnership?’ is a question all of us will debate, but what MacLean needs to do is pick a formula and stick with it. Partnerships gel over time and they need competitive minutes on the park to do this.

Personally, I think Clark and Kane are of a similar style, so it needs to be one of those two alongside May, who will run tirelessly all day long in behind and out wide.

I would also like to see Kane and May take a leaf out of Clark’s book and get more involved when it comes down to penalty box involvement. The ex-Dundee United striker seems to have a habit of finding himself in and around the six-yard box, which ultimately helps him deliver the goals.

Despite discussing Clark, Kane and May as our strikers, I also don’t want to dismiss new additions Luke Jephcott and Dara Costelloe.

Jephcott has shown glimpses of what he has to offer, and fans of his previous club Plymouth are adamant that he got most of his success playing as a predator type in the box. The way Saints have been performing probably hasn’t helped his chances with entries into the final third a rarity, but again he has not had a prolonged spell in the side to prove his worth. When given his chance he needs to hold the ball up and do the basics right – the rest will hopefully come thereafter.

Costelloe has been utilised as a winger but also up top as a support striker and he got off the mark for the season with a fine finish against Livingston at McDiarmid Park. It was a real positive to see the young on-loan Burnley man grasp possession and finish confidently, especially given his lack of quality in the final third up until that point.

With Costelloe, you know you are getting a willing runner who will try his utmost to produce something for the duration he is on the pitch. At just 20 you can see his decision-making is lacking at times, but there is quality there. With Drey Wright now out injured for a lengthy period due to knee surgery, Costelloe could well have a key role to play on the right flank moving forward.

There is attacking quality in MacLean’s squad but he just needs to find the winning set-up to make Saints a threat and a success going forward.

The last time we visited St Mirren Nicky Clark produced something special when he delivered a 96th-minute worldy overhead kick to grab a huge point in the race for survival.

Stephen Robinson’s side are currently third in the Premiership table and flying, so you feel Saints will have to find that kind of ability in front of goal again if they are to take anything from this trip to Paisley.

aidan.smith@newsquest.co.uk