Bristol City v Middlesbrough FC: Kim Hellberg out to achieve 'impossible' as area for improvement identified
Middlesbrough’s start to life under new head coach Kim Hellberg has been described as ‘perfect’.
Looking purely at results, it has been. Middlesbrough have won all four of their games since the 37-year-old was unveiled as Rob Edwards’ successor.
However, coaches do not tend to generate the level of buzz Hellberg has without possessing the desire to constantly fine-tune.
Middlesbrough blew Queens Park Rangers away last weekend, yet there was an noticeable slow-down after the half-time break.
Middlesbrough’s 90-minute desire
Hellberg said: "Of course, over 90 minutes, if we played 45 minutes like that again, we would not be in this league.
"It was an unbelievable 45 minutes. QPR are a good team who had won four of the last five. If you look at Hull, they have beaten Millwall away, Wrexham at home and Stoke away. They played against us in that period of time.
"If we could play like that over 90 minutes every game, I would say that's impossible. But over time, we are looking and training to get there.
"I think the first 15 minutes of the second half was good against QPR too. They changed a little bit, we maybe became a little bit careful and didn't get in behind them.”
A good place to be
Middlesbrough have made light work of some in-form sides yet the narrative is different this weekend.
Bristol City are somewhat out of sorts, winless in their last three with just one victory in their last five.
The Robins have slipped to 11th in the Championship table but a win could propel them back to the verge of the top six.
Hellberg said: “We're looking forward to the next game. We've trained well. I think it's been a group with a lot of confidence in their abilities to play football and I think they have shown that.
"It's growing, of course. It's a good place to be at - a lot of happy people that have worked very hard to win games and develop, that's the key thing.”
American midfielder Aidan Morris has not yet returned to training and appears likely to miss out on the trip to Ashton Gate. Abdoulaye Kante, however, is back with the group and Dael Fry’s rehabilitation is progressing.