'100 per cent on me': Why Middlesbrough FC boss blamed himself after Millwall draw

Hellberg made just two changes from Saturday's enthralling 4-3 home victory over Norwich City and both of them were enforced with Luke Ayling and Ashley Phillips replacing injured duo Alfie Jones and Adilson Malanda at centre-back.

The Swede admits that he felt he got it wrong in retrospect in not making more changes. Trailing thanks to goals from Tairyk Arconte and Lyndon Dykes, the Boro chief made three interval substitutions with Jeremy Sarmiento, Max Arfsten and Kyle Joseph coming on for Tommy Conway, Neton Borges and Sebastian Berhalter.

The moves did the trick, with the impressive Amario Cozier-Duberry, excellent again, grabbing his second Boro goal in successive Riverside matches before top-scorer Will Lankshear restored parity with eighth goal of the campaign.

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg during the Sky Bet Championship match against Millwall at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough.

placeholder image — Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg during the Sky Bet Championship match against Millwall at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough.

But on a night when victory would have seen the hosts move to the Championship summit, they fell short against the injury-hit Lions.

Hellberg said: "I think in general, as a football coach, you have the responsibility to pick the team you think is best and you have to try to do what's best for this game and the next game and how it works.

"That's what's important, and I think I got a lot of those things wrong.

"I had a lot of players that did absolutely brilliant against Norwich that maybe didn't have the energy and I put them in not a good situation by starting them again from them not having the (full) pre-season and coming back from injury.

Middlesbrough's Jeremy Sarmiento and Millwall's Luke Cundle (right) battle for the ball during a Sky Bet Championship match at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough.

"I think I got a lot of those decisions wrong, and that's 100 per cent on me, because the players are doing absolutely everything they can.

"But they didn't have the energy which everyone could see today. That pains a little bit in terms of that, but that's how it is, and I did get those things wrong, and that's on me.

"And then in the second half, it's just about firing them up and doing some changes, and the game is always going to change a little bit, and we attacked and get the chances directly, and again, there were strong carries from the boys."

On whether he had a few stern words at the interval, when the hosts received some jeers, he continued: "I think it was more disappointment, and a little bit raised voices also, and some changes in personnel connected to what we're going to face in the second half.

"I think it was more different things; different type of things in terms of getting different profiles that we can get into the box a little bit more, a little bit higher positions for some players."

Hellberg labelled Boro's first-half concessions as 'terrible', with both being self-inflicted.

The Boro boss, whose side visit Birmingham City this weekend, added: "The first half was under our standard, energy wise and in energy in general.

"And then a strong second half saw us coming back, so I think the group keeps showing the character they have. It's very strong against a solid team to come back from 2-0 down.

"We kept creating a lot of chances, which we have done since we started the season. They were two terrible goals to concede to be fair and that puts you in a tough situation, but it's strong for the boys to come back from it."