Queens Park Rangers v Middlesbrough: Tactics tougher without man-management, says Kim Hellberg

Three at the back was the norm under Rob Edwards in the first part of the season but they had only played back fours under Hellberg until then.

It should keep Queens Park Rangers guessing before a special visit to Loftus Road for the coach for Sunday’s 4.30pm kick-off.

"Like every switch we do, it's more connected to the opposition but's also in combination with what players we have and who is in form," explained Hellberg, who could have Leo Castledine back after injury. "The offensive positions were almost similar.

"I try to put the players in the best spaces as often as possible. Our aim is always to take control of the game as much as we can."

Getting the players to try something different was more about human qualities.

"(Unless) the players think I do everything I can to help them it's difficult to get the tactics," he said.

"If they don't feel you are helping them, it will be difficult for them to embrace the tactics.

"If they think I help them as much as I can, that gives a quicker way for them to buy into the tactics."

Although he has never managed there, it will not be Hellberg's first visit to Loftus Road, having visited in the 1990s.

"I've actually been in the crowd watching a game there – it must have been 20, 30 years ago, I think it was QPR-Stoke,” he recalled.

“Robert Steiner was a Swedish striker. He played for a team my father coached. He went to QPR and was very successful here. He also played for Bradford.

"I loved how tight it was in the stadium, you were sitting almost on the knee of the next person.

"This stadium's going to be a very good one to go back to – and they tell me it's almost the same!"