We were in attendance for the Middlesbrough press conference today as we look ahead to Monday night’s match against Coventry City.
Middlesbrough currently sit top of the table after Monday’s 2-1 win over Chris Wilders Sheffield United.
Kim Hellberg was in superb form as usual. Open, honest, charming and humble has become the norm for Middlesbrough’s Swedish manager.
The media suite was busier than usual as national interest grows after Middlesbrough’s recent run of form.
Today’s press conference was on the back of a successful event held at Yarm School Auditorium, where Kim, Ali, Luke Ayling, Tommy Conway and Teesside’s own Hayden Hackney met with fans in a live Q&A format hosted by the club.
Moving onto Coventry, it looks like we have no new injury worries, but Monday’s game may well come a week too soon for Leo Castledine, who is still sidelined with a niggle.
Coventry City is an interesting game for Kim Hellberg, for which both reasons were covered. This was the last game Middlesbrough played before he took charge as Coventry ran out 4-2 winners in a pulsating match. Kim was watching from the stands that evening.
It is also an opportunity to pit himself against his footballing hero, Frank Lampard. Part of Hellberg’s charm is his honesty whenever he gets asked a question. His humility, on top of that, is fantastic to see as well. When asked about Lampard, he said he was his favourite player growing up watching the Premier League. So you can imagine how excited he is to take his Middlesbrough team, who are riding high after 6 wins in a row.
A similar emotion was put out when he was asked about Alan Browne and his recent form. Browne was recently voted PFA Fans Player of the Month and is up for the EFL Championship Player of the Month, alongside the manager who is up for Manager of the Month.
He loves how much Alan Browne has excelled playing in a multitude of positions over recent games and believes he deserves his current accolades.
We asked Kim Hellberg about the club only registering 23 senior players for the remainder of the season, and his answer was as honest as we can expect: “That’s not my decision or job”. Something that highlights just how clear the football club is when it comes to roles and responsibilities.
Following on from the players, our Daz asked if it is getting easier to pick a side off the back of playing an unchanged side two games in a row. It’s safe to say it isn’t. He has more players coming back to fitness and some recent additions.
All in all. The manager and his team are feeling confident and ready for Monday’s mammoth task against Coventry City. If defeated, this would be only their second home defeat of the season.
If you can’t make the match, Dave, Jimmy and Boro legend Craig Higgnet will be live at STACK in Middlesbrough. The lads will be there from 6pm, so get down if you can.
Our coverage will be on air from 6pm.
