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Hellberg Leans on Data as Boro's Finishing Slump Squeezes Promotion Race

The head coach says he can handle rising pressure after rivals won on Saturday.

Overview

  • Middlesbrough are winless in three yet remain second in the Championship, with wins for Coventry, Ipswich, Hull and Millwall tightening the table before Monday’s trip to Birmingham City.
  • Across the Oxford United and Leicester City draws, Boro produced 41 shots with only 11 on target and scored once.
  • Kim Hellberg spent his day off conducting a six-season StatsBomb review to verify that chance creation is healthy and to target better shot quality.
  • He maintains "all the confidence in the world," noting one defeat in nine and asserting Boro have scored the third-most goals since his arrival.
  • Hellberg highlights a thin squad with players returning from injury, as local analysts call for late-game tweaks such as more direct play or different bench options to crack low-block defenses.