Middlesbrough: Opening win gives new boss Kim Hellberg ‘energy and time’

Hellberg has been undertaking a crash course in the Championship, by taking in as many matches as possible.

He watched Hull’s win at Stoke last Saturday on television in the build-up to his own game at The Riverside, as well as many other matches in the league.

The Swede also has been studying Boro’s play over a number of years to try to build up a picture of what style suits his new squad and how to create a structure that will bring the best out of them.

“I tried to look at the players that have scored goals in the last four or five years, how they have scored the goals,” he said.

“Drawing a map of where they have scored from, how many touches they have used, trying to get a picture of what they were good at.

“Then in general how they have defended and how they have done this season.

“I’ve tried to do as much as I could, but then you need to be with the players to get a better feeling of them.

“It’s about keeping an open mind, but trying to give yourself as much advantage as possible by seeing the games they’ve played. That’s the balance you need to have.”