{"id":1432089,"date":"2026-02-07T16:45:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T16:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1432089"},"modified":"2026-02-07T16:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T16:45:11","slug":"tactical-analysis-middlesbrough-kim-helberg-best-football-in-the-championship-2026","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-middlesbrough-kim-helberg-best-football-in-the-championship-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Middlesbrough analysis: How Kim Hellberg has gotten Boro playing the best football in the Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Middlesbrough are the most in-form team in the Championship and have closed the gap to Coventry City at the top of the league.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Kim Hellberg became Boro manager, Coventry were 10 points clear. Fast forward to the present, and the Swede managed to reduce the distance to zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Middlesbrough won their first four games under Hellberg and each of the last five in the league as well. All of that while playing the best football in the division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>How has Kim Hellberg turned Middlesbrough into a football machine?<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-taste-for-possession\" data-level=\"3\">Taste for possession<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-constant-movement-and-rotations\" data-level=\"3\">Constant movement and rotations<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-morgan-whittaker-revival\" data-level=\"3\">The Morgan Whittaker revival<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-taste-for-possession\">Taste for possession<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Boro were already a ball-dominant team before Hellberg&#8217;s arrival. Rob Edwards had them playing a surprisingly attractive style considering the traits of his Luton Town side from 2022 to 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the Swede has taken it a few steps further. Not only do they now take the game to the opposition at all times, they also use possession as a way to defend themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Game-state Opta data shows that only two teams in the Championship average 50% or more possession while ahead. Middlesbrough are one of them with quite a bit of margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1432091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-267x267.jpg 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07160048\/ChampionshipPossAhead070226.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea is to keep the ball whenever possible, as shown by their success rate of 85% in their passes. No other team in the division has even gotten to 83%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has led to them being an extremely effective side. Boro are the team with the most shot attempts (16.5) and the fewest shots faced (9.0) per game in the league since Hellberg took over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also rank first in fewest goals conceded (0.8) and second in goals scored (1.9) per match in this span. Meanwhile, across the top four tiers of English football, only Cardiff City (62.4%) have had more possession than Boro (61.8%).<\/p>\n\n\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/smarkets-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SBK betting offer<\/a>: Bet \u00a310, get \u00a340 in free bets<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Eligible readers* interested in this SBK betting offer can follow <strong><a href=\"\/en\/go\/smarkets?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">THIS LINK<\/a> <\/strong>or click the image below.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/smarkets?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1422500\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145.png 625w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145-233x300.png 233w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145-208x267.png 208w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145-156x200.png 156w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145-47x60.png 47w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145-117x150.png 117w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/06120811\/image-145-31x40.png 31w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">New UK customers only. Min \u00a310 first deposit using Debit Card or Bank Transfer. Place a bet of \u00a310 at min odds of 2.0 and get a \u00a310 Football Bet Builder token upon settlement. A \u00a310 Multiple token, a \u00a35 Horse Racing Multiple token and a \u00a35 Football Bet Builder token will be credited after 24 hours. A further \u00a310 Free Bet token will be credited 48 hours after the qualifying bet has been settled.\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/help.getsbk.com\/hc\/en-gb\/articles\/21601526176669-UK-Welcome-bonus-Bet-10-get-40-in-Free-Bets-T-C-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/help.getsbk.com\/hc\/en-gb\/articles\/21601526176669-UK-Welcome-bonus-Bet-10-get-40-in-Free-Bets-T-C-s\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">Full T&amp;Cs<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0apply, 18+.\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/GambleAware.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">GambleAware.org<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">.<\/i><\/p>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a great and sustainable formula that has propelled them to join Coventry at the top of the table. There are risks, however, especially if they end up falling down from the automatic promotion spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Championship play-offs bring a tense atmosphere in which any mistake can cause more damage than usual. But by the looks of it, Middlesbrough might be closer to actually winning the league than going to the play-offs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Out of possession, the philosophy remains: get it back as quick as possible. Advanced Opta metrics have them first in PPDA (10.7), which means they try to suffocate the opposition up front in order to regain the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-constant-movement-and-rotations\">Constant movement and rotations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hellber prioritises keeping the ball and has his players always close to each other to offer options and create lanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their average of passing distance is just 16.9 metres &#8211; the lowest in the Championship. They also rarely go long, with just 9% of their passes travelling large distances, also the lowest of any team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boro enjoy long passing sequences while patiently trying to generate openings in the attacking half. Every player performs multiple roles in the same game. Midfield duo Hayden Hackney and Aidan Morris can often be seen joining the centre-backs to initiate build-up but also move up to the flanks in order to create overloads.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-soa-bs4-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sky Bet Offer<\/a>: Get \u00a340 in free bets when you place any bet<\/h2>\r\n<p>Looking for some free bets to boost your betting fund? Sky Bet are offering customers the chance to get \u00a340 in free bets when they sign up and place any qualifying bet.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1422496\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-300x85.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-768x218.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1536x435.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-400x113.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-600x170.png 600w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-212x60.png 212w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-150x43.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-40x11.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143.png 2036w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Sign up at Sky Bet<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0using this link<\/li>\r\n<li>Place a qualifying bet of at least 5p on a single or each way bet at odds of 1\/1 or greater, as your first bet<\/li>\r\n<li>Claim your \u00a340 free bet bonus<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h5 class=\"bookmaker-row exclusive\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-filter=\"  all-bookmakers free-bets in-play new-bookmaker world-cup-offers\">18+ NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE &amp; E\/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1\/1 OR GREATER. 4 X \u00a310 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&amp;CS APPLY.<\/h5>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<p>As of late, Alan Browne has joined them in a line of three, but spending most of his time out wide. Versatility is one of the most important traits a Middlesbrough player can have in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Striker Tommy Conway is often pulled away from central areas in the heart of the opposing defence. He drops wide to then look for diagonal runs in behind while the centre-backs adjust. The short window while Boro forwards rotate and rival defenders try to set their defensive structure up is of extreme importance in order to gain advantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-morgan-whittaker-revival\">The Morgan Whittaker revival<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Morgan Whittaker enjoyed a wonderful 2023-24 season for Plymouth Argyle. After joining Middlesbrough in January 2025, he failed to keep the performances going and looked like a flop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rob Edwards couldn&#8217;t get the best of him, but things changed as soon as he left to join Wolverhampton Wanderers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whittaker scored two goals and provided one assist in 12 Championship games under Edwards this campaign. From the second game without him, however, he went on a six-match run with at least one goal involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under Kim Hellberg, Whittaker now has 10 goals (7) and assists (3) in 13 league games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only has he been their main goalscoring threat, but also one of the most incisive creators in the team &#8211; leading them both in goals (11) and assists (5, alongside Hackney).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boro&#8217;s performances get all the more impressive when you factor in that the Swede has dealt with quite a few injuries in the squad since taking over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aidan Morris, Dael Fry, Callum Brittain, Alfie Jones, David Strelec and a few others have all missed time over the past 13 matchdays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are still 16 games left for Middlesbrough to play. And this season has taught us to not overreact to a good stretch of football &#8211; no matter how real it seems. But as of right now, no team is playing better than Kim Hellberg&#8217;s men and he is a big reason why.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football betting tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Middlesbrough are the most in-form team in the Championship and have closed the gap to Coventry City at the top of the league. When Kim Hellberg became Boro manager, Coventry were 10 points clear. Fast forward to the present, and the Swede managed to reduce the distance to zero. Middlesbrough won their first four games&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3354,"featured_media":1432092,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Middlesbrough are the most in-form team in the Championship and have closed the gap to Coventry City at the top of the league.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1432089","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Middlesbrough analysis: How Kim Hellberg has gotten Boro playing the best football in the Championship | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Middlesbrough are the most in-form team in the 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