As the referee blows his whistle for kick-off, the sound of thousands of cheerful fans singing “we’re going up, we’re going up, the mighty Boro, we’re going up” echoes around the Riverside Stadium. The chant is soon quelled, though, by a bullet header from Leicester’s Caleb Okoli that gives the Foxes an early lead. While the away fans are jubilant to escape the relegation zone, the Middlesbrough fans’ Premier League dreams start to dim. Both teams will fight like hell tonight — one to escape relegation, and one for the chance of promotion.
Middlesbrough were founded back in 1876, one of the original teams in the 1992 Premier League. Having spent 15 of the last 16 seasons in the Championship, the club are now desperate to reestablish themselves into the top division.
The Reds enjoyed a strong start to the season and cemented themselves as strong contenders for direct promotion by November — despite the long way to go, many Boro fans started to build up hope for a return of Premier League football to Riverside. Middlesbrough’s high aspirations were shaken, however, by the sudden departure of their manager, Rob Edwards. The Welshman chose to leave a thriving club in the Championship to try and save a Premier League club in freefall, Wolves. A brave decision to say the least, and one that shocked many Boro supporters.
The club then found themselves in the unusual position of finding a manager to maintain a positive trajectory rather than reverse a negative one. In the end, they decided to appoint Kim Hellberg, a 37-year-old Swedish manager completely untested outside of his domestic league. Fans and pundits alike were understandably sceptical at the appointment of this young Swede with no experience in English football and faltering English language skills. It remained to be seen whether Hellberg could keep the course steady in a critical season.
It is fair to say that Hellberg has done much more than just keep a steady course. He has sped up the ship. Since his appointment, Middlesbrough have excelled by every measurement — fewest goals conceded, highest possession percentage, and second most goals scored, to name a few. Hellberg’s team have outperformed Edwards’s in every aspect of the game, and the Swede has taken several neglected bench players and made them absolutely essential. If the stats show one half of the story, watching Middlesbrough play will reveal the other. Boro play with high intensity and a controlled chaos that has become the talk of English football — a style of football being dubbed ‘Hellball’.
In addition to his on-pitch success, Hellberg has won the hearts of Middlesbrough fans for his refreshing openness concerning tactics and overall humility. As one fan put it before the game against Leicester: “He is clearly clever tactically, so open with how he thinks, and brings so much energy to the club. We love him here!”
Despite the positive momentum and winds of change Hellberg has brought to Middlesbrough, there are still some worrying obstacles in the way of promotion. A lot of Boro’s offensive success originates from one player — Hayden Hackney. A talented midfielder wanted by many Premier League clubs, Hackney is such a workhorse for Hellberg’s side that the team cannot seem to click when he is injured or not performing. Hellberg’s insistence to surgically get the ball into the box before taking a shot can lead to a lot of inaction on the edge of the area and players that look like they get, as one fan put it, “paid by the touch.” Hellball is never going to be flawless, but no one can deny that it is exciting to watch.
Riley McGree equalises for Middlesbrough against Leicester just before halftime, and a spark of hope is rekindled on the stands. The second half sees wave after wave of Boro attacks repelled by a disciplined Leicester defence. Towards the end of the match, both teams seem more afraid of dropping a point than they are determined to grasp for more. The game ends as a draw and both sides share crucial points between them.
Middlesbrough do look strong despite their recent dip in form. McKenna’s Ipswich are hot on their tail and the coming 11 games will show whether they can go all the way, as they did 10 years ago. Kim Hellberg has been frustrated by finishing runner-up in two consecutive seasons at Hammarby IF in Sweden. This time, however, coming second is all the club needs. Nevertheless, the supporters will continue to sing and cheer on their mighty Boro as the dream of promotion lives on.
Photo by Olle Skau for The Student