Bristol City handed Kim Hellberg his first defeat as Middlesbrough boss
Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg(Image: PA)
Kim Hellberg understands the frustrations. Three home games without a win, and struggles against the low-block, has created anxiety as Middlesbrough battle for promotion.
That Bristol City are next up at the Riverside – a side who Boro have lost their last five meetings against, and who they’ve not beaten since August 2021 – hardly helps that feeling, on a weekend where it feels close to a must-win, particularly with the kinder fixtures their rivals have.
For Hellberg, the visit of the Robins is, in a strange way, a more a timely reminder that his Boro side are on the right track. That they shouldn’t let a couple of slip-ups make them doubt everything.
That’s strange because it was in the reverse fixture back in December, Hellberg’s fifth in charge of the club, that the Swede was inflicted his first defeat as Boro boss after four straight wins. And yet, it’s the perfect example to him of why results don’t always reflect performances.
“I remember after the game, I talked to the players and it was a funny one because I think it was the first time I felt like we were good for real,” he admitted. “I remember that game in terms of how it looked, and I think we were very good in that game.
“I remember after the game talking to the players about that. Because we had won some games before, but we had done it where a lot of things were going our way. You look at the Hull away game – we score four goals. We created much more against Charlton [on Wednesday night].
“That’s sometimes football, it goes your way. It was a good game against Hull, but we scored all the chances we had, top quality. After that Bristol City loss, going away to a tough place, I remember feeling like this is a group of players that, with the quality they have, just have to fight for it. And how long since? 20 games since or something like that. We are fighting for it.”
While Boro are fighting for it, that battle could have looked a lot easier had they beat Charlton on Wednesday evening. They missed an opportunity, after Ipswich Town had slipped up 24 hours earlier.
Because it was a third straight home game in which Boro failed to win against the low-block, it’s created understandable concern. For Hellberg, after watching his side create 34 chances in the game, his message to his players ahead of this one has been far more assured.
“My message to the players has been, ‘keep doing the things that are good. There are no teams in the league that create more chances than you. Keep doing it’,” he said.
“We just have to keep improving and keep trying to do everything we can to score. That’s what it’s about, and it will come down to that, so that’s what we work on.
“You’re always concerned when you don’t score. Of course you want to score more. You know it’s important to do that in football. But you will always have days when it’s not going your way. It’s been a lot of opportunities for us. And that’s what we have to try to keep doing.”
FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! Keep up with all the Middlesbrough FC latest via the Gazette’s dedicated Facebook page
Boro will likely have to hope they do have their finishing boots on this weekend. You have to take what chances you do get against a low-block, and that’s exactly what Hellberg expects from Gerhard Struber’s side, especially as they travel with only one fit senior centre-back.
He previewed: “Like every team comes to every game we play. We expect they will try to do their best defending, looking at the defensive game plan before the game, and trying to strike us on set plays and counter mainly. That’s how it’s been.
“I understand that, because we’re a very good football team and have an unbelievable squad. How we play, how we act, how we take control of the games is unbelievable to be a part of.
“So I think they will look at that mainly and how they try to defend, how they stop us. And then, of course, they have some offensive thoughts in their head that will try to strike us with.
“They can be good on transitions. They have very good players up front. A good coach. I like how brave they have mainly been in the pressing. I think they’re one good pressing team. We will see if they use that.”
———-
Here at TeessideLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Middlesbrough FC coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest Boro news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
Your information will be hidden, you’ll only ever receive messages from the Teesside Live sports team, and you can leave any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.