Middlesbrough v Millwall: Kim Hellberg on 'brilliant' position as hosts seek to avoid ex-factor episode
DURING the international break, Kim Hellberg briefly took some time out, visiting Beamish Museum and Butterfly World with his family, among other things.
It was a welcome rest and recuperation period before the biggest block of games Middlesbrough has faced in a regular season for a decade.
Ten years ago, Boro held their nerve - just - ahead of Brighton to clinch automatic promotion to the big time behind 2015-16 champions Burnley.
In the present, silverware looks destined for the Midlands and the Teessiders' nemesis in Coventry City. Second place remains open for someone.
Devilish quirks in the fixture scheduling see Hellberg's side host Millwall, the team directly behind them, today, followed by a trip to Ipswich Town—the other team firmly in the top-two picture— on April 19.
All three endured bumps in the road ahead of the final international hiatus of the 2025-26 campaign. Now, it's about keeping mistakes to a minimum - and holding your nerve.
It's something Boro have struggled to do, particularly at the Riverside of late.
They are winless in their last four outings on Teesside and a victory against a direct rival in front of a sell-out crowd would start repairing some of the damage.
Hellberg, who is remaining coy over the fitness of captain Hayden Hackney and top-scorer Morgan Whittaker, said: "It’s seven games left, one month of Championship and that is an intense period. All the games will be important.
"There's big games; a lot of games to play in a short amount of time. And this is what you’re in the sport for.
"So I’m just looking forward to the month. It will be very intense, it will be a lot of working, a lot of emotions, ups and downs. And it’s important to enjoy those type of moments because you don't get so many.
"So to be in this position with seven games left, one month left, it is a brilliant position to be in and a very good time to be alive and enjoy it."
As for his mini-break, he added: "I had three days where I almost put the phone away and was just with the family, so that was very nice.
"It’s been a lot of good and I saw a lot of Boro supporters that were happy but very respectful.
"I’ve felt from almost the first day that there is something special here and there's a lot of people that are so excited over many things.”
Lining up in opposition ranks is a Boro academy product who will be trying to bite the hand that used to feed him.
Bedale-raised Josh Coburn - who spent seven years at Boro - makes his first return to the Riverside following his club-record £5m move to the Lions last summer.
Given Boro's deficiencies in terms of goals up front this term, supporters are entitled to rue his departure, more especially if he delivers at his old stomping ground.
On Coburn, who has netted three times in his past four outings for Millwall, including their equaliser in their last game against Ipswich at Portman Road, Hellberg continued: "I’ve watched him play a lot.
"We actually talked about him a little bit with the coaches and with those who have seen him and had him a little bit here. But then again, I think you watch so much and you see so much of how they play as a team and how he is as a player anyway.
"He’s a good player and he’s scored some goals recently. He works hard, is a physical threat and runs a lot. I think he’s done very well in the games I’ve seen, and he always offers physicality and scores some good goals in the box.
"He’s a good player, so we have to be on top of that.”