Kim Hellberg’s assured Middlesbrough prediction as he seeks answer to million-dollar question

Kim Hellberg is seeking attacking improvement as Middlesbrough host Southampton

Kim Hellberg, head coach of Middlesbrough(Image: SmartFrame/News Images)

Kim Hellberg is seeking attacking improvement as Middlesbrough host Southampton this afternoon – but admits finding the right answer feels like the million-dollar question right now.

Boro are without a goal in their last four games, despite having 80 shots on goal across those matches. Their fortunes of late were typified in the New Year’s Day loss at Derby County, where Boro squandered numerous good chances before being beaten.

Hellberg has tried numerous things already to get things going again, after they scored 11 goals in his first four games. There’s been personnel changes and tactical tweaks. But right now, nothing seems to be doing the trick.

For Hellberg, as he seeks the answers, there’s a balance in trying to find the solution, while also appreciating that actually, the data shows that not a lot is wrong.

He said: “I’ve been coaching for 15 years. I cannot find this type of run – not scoring from any in the last four when playing the way we have been. I was actually doing a lot of research after the Hull game in terms of looking at Leeds, Coventry, teams like that who’ve scored a lot of goals in this division.

“I was looking at how they created chances, how many shots and from where, all those things. Premier League teams too, to get a good picture of how it looks, how it looked before I arrived, how it looks now.

“If you look at how we created over these last eight games, I think we have the most shots in the league, I think we have the second best xG behind Sheffield United. So we’re creating a lot of good chances, and also not conceding that many chances either.

“The numbers are not everything, but if you connect that to looking at the game, we’ve been over those eight games very, very good. I think the first half against Derby in the first game was not good enough and I think Blackburn is the game where I’m disappointed over the performance.

“In general, it’s been a lot of chances for us before they score the first goal, and in football the first goal is very, very important. For the moment, we’re not scoring, even if we have a lot of chances. That’s what hurts me the most.”

He continued: “I look at the statistics and I might question: ‘Are we actually good or is it just like I’m feeling that but we don’t create chances?’ I’m asking myself, ‘How does it look?’

“For the moment, over those eight games, we’ve been creating a lot of chances. We’ve been going from where we were before I arrived and creating a lot more chances and being top in the league in that part.

“But for the moment, they’re not going in and we have to work with that, we have to do better in that part. And that’s why I think it’s important for me to get that message to the players too.

“For the moment, we’re not good enough at taking our chances, we’re not good enough at scoring goals. But that is the only thing that hasn’t given us more points from these games.”

Crucially then, ahead of Southampton’s visit to the Riverside this afternoon, with Hellberg hoping to end a four-match winless run, how does he change that?

“That’s the million-dollar question,” he said. “We’re trying to tweak things all the time, being aware of getting more players in the highest line to get into the box. There were some very good examples of players getting into very good positions, so it’s just trying to keep tweaking things to try and find the right solutions, and put them in better positions.

“We have to work with confidence because I think everyone can see there’s a lot of good players in my team. How we play, how they act, how they move, they are very impressive.

“But when it gets in the box we’re not finding the right tool to use. That’s something we have to work with. But there’s quality. Morgan scored seven in a row, seven games in a row, then he put one at Bristol off the post, Blackburn just inside of the post. Both of them inches from going into the goal.

“We’re having so many chances to score before they even have a chance to score, and that’s how we want it. We have to work with it and it’s a tough period for everyone.

“I understand there’s a lot of frustration from everyone. It’s understandable. But we can use that force, use that frustration, and take it out on the opposition. We will no doubt play in front of an unbelievable atmosphere again against Southampton on Sunday and we can feed off that too.”

With just one point in four, Boro have slipped to third in the Championship table. After starting with four consecutive wins under Hellberg and pulling away from the chasing pack, the league table effectively now looks exactly as it did on the day the Swede took the reins after defeat to Coventry City.

While he appreciates that’s not ideal, the Boro boss was confident in making one prediction. He said: “I looked at the table after the [Derby] game. We’re third now – back to exactly the same position as we were eight games ago when I arrived.

“It’s nine points to Coventry now, it was ten then. It’s three to the last play-off place, and was the same then. We created a good opportunity in the beginning with the first four games. Now we’re back to the same position we started in.

“I think this game, and how we played, has taken a big step forward in terms of creating chances, not conceding chances… But just for the moment we’re not good enough in making them count.

“What I feel confident saying is that we are going to be, when this season finishes, I’m certain of it, in a very good position. That’s because of how we play. We cannot lose trust in how we’re playing and how we’re acting because this is the thing that’s going to get us results over time.

“If you would tell me, ‘Okay, the game is going to look like this first 60 minutes’, I would say let’s make every game look like this. Because we’re going to win most of the games we’re playing if we perform like that.”

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