Source: Northern_Echo
Kitson is open to extending his stay
FOR the first time since arriving on loan last month, Dave Kitson has hinted that he is willing to consider an extension to his current stay at Middlesbrough.[LNB] Having only signed a sixweek agreement when he left Stoke in the middle of November, Kitson is due to return to the Britannia Stadium in the wake of Boro's trip to Barnsley on December 28.[LNB] Gordon Strachan has already spoken of his desire to keep the striker for longer, and with Kitson having scored his third goal in as many matches during Middlesbrough's 5-1 thrashing of QPR at the weekend, the Scotsman is sure to raise the possibility of a longer-term deal with Stoke officials.[LNB] Kitson had previously ruled out an extended stay at the Riverside, claiming his family circumstances made it impossible for him to contemplate a lengthy spell in the North- East.[LNB] But with his opening three weeks on Teesside having been extremely successful, the 29-year-old has hinted that his mind may be shifting.[LNB] He will still return to Stoke when his current deal ends, but will seek talks with Potters boss Tony Pulis to clarify his future, opening the door for Boro to strike a deal.[LNB] I'll be going back to Stoke on December 28, said Kitson.[LNB] And when I get there, I will speak to Tony and see how he feels. We will see what the situation is, and it's difficult to predict what will happen.[LNB] You just don't know who will do what. I'm going back, but if the clubs want to do something else, then that is up to them. I will find out what the situation is in due course.[LNB] You have to take on board your personal circumstances and where your family is. It's enjoyable being here, it's been good and it's given me what I was hoping for. Gordon could come in for me, but I've no idea what is going to crop up.[LNB] The retention of Kitson's services would represent a massive boost to Boro, as the striker has already struck up a profitable partnership with fellow forward Leroy Lita.[LNB] The pair previously played together at Reading, and have picked up where they left off at the Madejski Stadium after being reunited at the Riverside.[LNB] Both players have scored three goals in their last three games, and their link-up play at Loftus Road was far too effective for a QPR defence that was chasing shadows for the majority of the second half.[LNB] Lita's direct style is the perfect accompaniment to Kitson's astute movement and link-up play, and the latter was quick to praise the former's abilities after Saturday's five-goal frolic.[LNB] I've played with Leroy many times before, and he's an out-and-out goalscorer,[LNB] said Kitson. Every team needs one of them, and he's very good at it. In a tight game, nine times out of ten, Leroy will get you the win.[LNB] He keeps the ball really well, and was dragging their defenders all over the place.[LNB] Defenders don't like that. He had a few one-on-one chances, and he scored with pretty much all of them. He had to, because I couldn't really catch him for him to pass the ball to me! I'm pleased for him because he's worked very hard and deserves those goals.[LNB] Saturday's success lifted Boro back into a play-off place ahead of tomorrow's home game with fellow promotion hopefuls Blackpool, but Kitson has warned it will count for little if a disappointing home record is not addressed in 24 hours time.[LNB] We have to try to put a run together now, he said.[LNB] That's Gordon Strachan's first win and we showed we could be pretty competitive. It should give us some confidence for Tuesday.[LNB] I was very pleased with the way we played because we'd been working on the counterattack, and we counter-attacked very well.[LNB] After missing Saturday's win because of a family illness, Adam Johnson is still expected to be unavailable for tomorrow's match.[LNB]
