Southgate offers King hope

22 March 2009 13:47
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate insists Marlon King can win a permanent move to the club if he impresses while on loan.[LNB] The experienced hit-man is currently on loan at The Riverside for the remainder of the season from Wigan after his loan switch to Hull City was cut short.[LNB]King bagged an important late leveller against Portsmouth last week, although he could not find the back of the net on Saturday as Boro lost 1-0 to relegation rivals Stoke City.[LNB]"He's got the opportunity that if he does well for us he can be here next year and either way he's in the shop window as well," stated Southgate.[LNB]Important"He's a chirpy character and his first goal for us against Portsmouth shows the rest of the team what you can do and shows the supporters that you're important.[LNB]"There are a lot of incentives for him to keep performing. He's desperate to prove a point. He can add an experienced voice in the dressing room."[LNB]Meanwhile, Boro's defeat at The Britannia Stadium has left the north east outfit four points adrift of fourth from bottom Blackburn and Southgate insists they must start winning games and fast.[LNB]"We have got to go on a run of wins home and away. That was one of the reasons we changed the system; our away form was so poor I thought it would give them something different to focus on and I thought it did," he concluded.[LNB]"We are not scoring enough. We certainly had a couple of good chances to win it and haven't taken them. In football you have to take your chances."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports