Middlesbrough missed out on the opportunity to open up a five-point gap over Coventry with Monday’s defeat. Given the trajectory of the two sides in recent months, a win could have even seen them with one hand on the Championship trophy come May.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, and Boro are left in pursuit of top spot once more, just a week on from leapfrogging Coventry with a win at Bramall Lane.
It was a frustrating night for Kim Hellberg, who admitted after the game, per Teeside Live, that his side were beaten by the better team, but he doesn’t want the main feeling to be anger going into the final 14 games of the campaign.
“It comes down to us not being good on the ball; it comes down to that in the first half. I don’t think angry things will help us because I think it’s more about keeping improvement, that determination, that happiness in terms of playing football,” he said.
“And I think every game now will come down to how good we are on the ball, because the games will look like that. Sheffield United have 35% of the ball — a brilliant team. Coventry has 29% today. Of course, they are in the lead, so it’s a different story.
“Coventry are doing well, and they could also say that, in the first half, they controlled the game without the ball by being aggressive. And I would say, yeah, that’s probably right.
“But that’s how games are going to probably look now, and I’m very proud of the group for how they’ve taken it from how they played to that. I think that is unbelievable, and we will use the energy from that. But we need to get better.
“It will come down to how good we can be with the ball. Because the game looks like that for the moment, and will probably look like that for the last 14 games.”
Kim Hellberg’s constant demand for improvement will put Middlesbrough in a good place for the final 14 games
Even coming off the back of a six-game winning run in league action, the message was the same. Now, after defeat, the focus will be on ensuring that they can positively use their dominance and possession in a way that they couldn’t on Monday night.
Middlesbrough has a couple of home games in the next week against Oxford United and Leicester City, two current occupants of places in the relegation zone, and two sides who you’d expect will soak up pressure and look to hit Kim Hellberg’s side on the break.
The Boro boss knows that his side must improve in possession, and in the next couple of games, that’ll be tested more than ever, and could define their campaign more than the table-topping clash on Monday night could
Hellberg will have that message drilled into his side throughout the coming week, though, and, given the results seen since he came through the door at the Riverside, you’d be confident that it’ll be taken on by those in the squad
