WHEN I was at school, your annual report was divided into various categories where you would receive a tick ranging anywhere from 'excellent' to 'causing concern', with 'good', 'acceptable standard' and 'poor' the options in between.

Generally I wasn't too bad, although the placement of the ticks did vary dramatically depending on the subject, with 'causing concerns' creeping in under home economics or drama.

Writing a weekly school report just now for Saints, however, would be a rather predictable process.

Starting with the home leg against Steaua, they have broadly displayed the same strengths and weaknesses in five matches.

Effort? Excellent.

Fitness? Excellent.

Defending? Excellent.

Tackling? Good.

Passing? Acceptable standard.

Crossing? Poor.

Shooting? Causing concern.

Goalscoring? Causing concern.

Much has been positive about those five games and with three 'excellents' you would hope they would have had some wins.

Yet in football the most important single strength is scoring goals.

In this category Saints' form is currently causing concern and the consequence is that they haven't been victorious now in five and were yesterday only able to avoid defeat for the first time in four matches.

After the Everton game, Gordon Strachan praised the positions his team been in but admitted they were still lacking in the final third.

In recent weeks the Saints boss has also been listing the large number of crosses, passes and shots his team have produced.

The statistics do arguably prove Saints have been unlucky, but as the former Indian cricket opener Sidhu once said: "Statistics are like mini-skirts - they hint at something interesting, but frequently hide the most interesting things."

In this case the telling point is not the quantity, but rather the quality of Saints' shooting and crossing.

Again yesterday they had plenty of shots - 17 - but all too often they were efforts from outside the area which did not seriously threaten Nigel Martyn's goal.

What does not show up in the statistics is how little Saints get in behind the opposition with well-timed runs to create real clear-cut chances.

Brett Ormerod threatened at times with his pace, while Anders Svensson almost found the telling ball yesterday.

But basically they never really looked like penetrating the Everton defence despite plenty of good possession.

Diagnosing the problem is, of course, the simple bit.

It's easy to say, but Saints clearly need to pass the ball forward more quickly and also look to go through the middle as well as out to the flanks.

Far too often they win the ball and there is either not enough bodies forward or the ball is not moved on again rapidly enough.

Saints have admittedly missed the quality delivery of Graeme Le Saux and the likes of Matt Oakley, Chris Marsden and Neil McCann in recent weeks through injury, but the time also now looks right for an injection of youth.

Strachan is understandably wary of throwing in his most promising young players too early, but it can also be counterproductive to all concerned to wait too long.

Frenchman Leandre Griffit has been outstanding for the reserves since his arrival in the summer.

He should be given a chance to start or to at least come off the bench if the goalscoring problem persists at home to Blackburn.

Saints must also keep plugging away and believing in themselves as, generally, they are playing well.

Goalscoring is largely about confidence and a piece of luck or a moment of magic will see them turn this particular corner.