Kieran Scott: Boro head of football on Rob Edwards’ exit and hiring Kim Hellberg’s

Scott’s theory on Middlesbrough being more potent in attack under Hellberg is not unfounded.

Hellberg’s Boro have scored more freely, with 52 goals in his 30 regular season Championship matches in charge so far at a rate of 1.73 goals per game, compared to 1.21 with Edwards.

In terms of win ratio, both managers are tied evenly on 50%.

However, Edwards picked up 0.11 more points per game and his side conceded fewer goals per game (0.85) than Hellberg’s (1.00).

The data for Hellberg will of course fluctuate in the coming months depending on how Boro perform.

It has not been all plain sailing for Boro during Hellberg’s reign so far either.

Impressive winning runs of four and six games respectively in the league have been punctuated by blips in form – perhaps none more costly than a seven-game streak without a win during the run-in of 2025-26.

Last season ended in disappointment after slipping from top in February to finish fifth before losing in the play-off final to Hull City.

The caveat is the fact that defeat was preceded by the spygate scandal which saw Boro reinstated in the competition after Southampton were caught spying on their training session before the semi-final.

“Kim hadn’t gone through anything like that,” said Scott.

“I think Kim felt professionally disrespected and I think that really got to him like it would do, like it got to me, like it got to everybody.

“Emotionally I think it wore him out, like it wore us all out.”