Middlesbrough, under Kim Hellberg are playing the most exciting football in the championship, not the most lucrative currently which is obviously Coventry.

Their use of movement off the ball, their ability to always have a player available for the pass and unlike other possession based styles, they aren’t possession for possessions sake. However, they see themselves dropping out of the automatic promotion places, with the unenviable position of having played two more games than Ipswich above them.

So for a team that consistently has 70 plus percent possession and managing 20 plus shots and that’s being conservative, where is it all going wrong?

Middlesbrough, albeit shortly, were top of the championship and were a permanent fixture in second place from early on in Kim Hellberg’s reign after a decent start under Rob Edwards.

So when, how, why and is anyone to blame for what is now rapidly seeming like a playoff fight for Middlesbrough?

After a Christmas period dip, dropping points to Bristol, Blackburn, Hull and Derby, only picking up one point in four games. Any Middlesbrough fans reading know to expect a Christmas drop off. The smoggies on Teesside love a parmo and pint at Christmas.

Following the expected dip, Middlesbrough went on a strong winning streak. Culminating in moving top of the League with the next game being a first vs second place game against Coventry. A game which beforehand, looked to be a make or break for both teams.

Coventry, having been on a drop of form, needed a win to get back on track. Middlesbrough needed a win to cement dominant displays and keep themselves top.

The game became an unfortunate foresight into the future of Middlesbrough in the league. Dominant in possession, achieving 70 percent possession, taking more shots, 13 to Coventry’s 10, however, losing the game 3-1.

Coventry set up perfectly to counter Middlesbrough, hounding them in possession, hitting on the counter and despite statistically being the worse side, come out with the win. This began the downfall, Middlesbrough have gone on to, across the following 9 games, drop a jaw dropping 16 points from a possible 27. Consistently, as mentioned earlier, dominating possession and firing shots towards goal at a frightening rate.

The issue? Those shots are going everywhere but the back of the net. Its
hard to fault ‘Hellball’, the football is dominant, the football is exciting, the football in getting Middlesbrough on TV on what seems like every other day, the football just isn’t winning.

The only questionable decision to note is putting the ball of energy that is Tommy Conway on the wing, just as he hit a good run-in front of goal. Replacing him with an international striker, which at first glance, seems like an easy choice, David Strelec however, is finding it very difficult to not just score, but contribute, not providing the same energy at the front that Conway had and not contributing with goals.

Something needs to change and quickly, if Middlesbrough are to have any hope of promotion. Hellberg doesn’t seem to have wingers he trusts, preferring to play strikers on the wing, or switching to 5 at the back, with wing backs (Top quality wing backs in Callum Brittain and Matt Targett) providing the width.

Injuries to defenders is also a reoccurring issue for Middlesbrough, joined by an even more troubling injury problem of losing Whittaker and Hackney, losing quality and goals as a result.

Hackney in particular is arguably the best player in the league, his driving runs from midfield and obviously his goals and assists are dramatically missed for Middlesbrough.
Worryingly for Middlesbrough, Hackney will be playing in the Premier League next season, its now or never for Middlesbrough if they want to keep his quality on Teesside.

Middlesbrough’s individual errors at the back is also a concern. The game
just gone as time of writing against Swansea saw multiple.

Sol Brynn’s decision to place a palm on a going nowhere Eom was a massive brain fart from the Boro shot stopper, a soft but undeniable penalty which was comfortably converted. That was the big one, but Middlesbrough gave away two penalties in that game which ended 2-2. Two rash decisions, leading to two goals and the dropping of two points is a reoccurring problem for Kim Hellberg’s boys in red.

Overall, the man on the side-line can only do so much. The style implored by Kim Hellberg is getting results on the Stat books but not where it counts, on the scoreboard. The opportunities that arise at the front end of the pitch should have any top striker licking his lips, but no one currently in a red shirt is able to take advantage. Individual errors are also costing Middlesbrough, letting men go, letting the ball bounce, wayward passes and silly fouls.

They are a team that unfortunately, always has a mistake in them. No matter how good the football is, Middlesbrough need to fix these issues at both ends of the pitch and they need to do it now.

Automatic promotion seems to no longer be possible. If they want to be successful in the playoffs, they cannot continue in this vain. The prospects of another season in the championship, without Hackney and in my opinion, they would face another Rob Edwards situation as the football being played will almost definitely raise some interest from the Premier League. Not improving will certainly be disastrous for the team on Teesside.