STEWART Downing is targeting a double figure goal return this season after already equalling his haul for the whole of the last campaign.

Downing's best return for Boro is six in the 2004/05 season when Boro achieved their highest Premier league finish with seventh place guaranteeing UEFA Cup football.

Manager Gareth Southgate wants more goals from his international winger and has told him to get into goalscoring positions as often as he can.

"We need goals from all over the field and we've set him a target which he feels he can get," said the Boro boss.

"He got two last season and he can only improve on that. He's got the freedom to go and play and sometimes you have to keep telling him to go on."

Mido's ability to drift wide allowed Downing to turn up in the centre-forward position against Birmingham and grab his second goal in six games.

And the player who meets up with the England squad today ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia, admits it's an area of his game that needs improving.

"I think the whole of the midfield has got a goal now, but that's two already and I got two last season and I want more than that," said Downing.

"It's about getting in the box and it was a well worked goal. I should be an eight to ten goals a season player but that depends on the positions I get in.

"I thought I was offside (on Saturday) because I had that much time. I had a second look when I scored but the movement killed the Birmingham defence."

Downing admits that Boro must be more clinical in front of goal with four clear-cut chances spurned in the second half.

"It was a 5-0 game I agree," said Downing. "If you want to take the positives out of it at least we're creating the chances.

"As long as we get the chances, that's important. Away from home you only get a couple of chances and we have to be more clinical and I hope that's a lesson for us to kill team off quicker.

"In the last couple of games we've looked a really good side, we lost to Blackburn but still looked good. We're building and building and we're unbeaten in four games hopefully the fans will take notice of that and they'll get behind us."