Middlesbrough has four victories from four, but have endured drops in the second halves of the last three.
Kim Hellberg outlined why he believes Middlesbrough’s second-half performances have worsened in recent games, as well as how he plans to overcome this.
Though the Boro manager has had a great start to his new job, with four wins in four games, he expressed his disappointment after QPR suffered another drop off in the second half.
Boro’s defense was 3-0 when they pulled their foot off the throttle against QPR, and 4-0 at halftime against Hull City. Charlton was a touch uneasy when their two-goal lead was trimmed, but they managed the game well enough to secure the away win.
While Boro’s ability to compete on both sides of the game is undeniably beneficial, Hellberg is constantly seeking for ways to improve. He believes he understands why the dips occur and has sought to correct the situation.
He stated: “I believe that a major element is that the way we play is very different from how they have been playing. That means we need to approach physics differently.
“I believe they are really powerful, physical, and good players, but depending on how we play, you need different types of movements and so forth.
“If you play 45 minutes like that again [QPR], we will not be in this league! I believe that was incredible. And QPR is a good team that has won four of the previous five.
“Hull were also in good form. So, if we thought we could play like that for 90 minutes every game, I would say it was impossible. But over time, we’re looking and training to get there.”
He went on to say, “I think it’s important to understand that there has been a change in the way we play, and that means that there are different muscles in terms of how you move and how you want to play, as well as the different runs and that stuff, which makes it difficult to maintain that for 90 minutes at first.
“We are training to get stronger and better. Of course, QPR has also changed slightly. We may become more cautious and avoid getting behind them.
“So it’s more about working out how, when we’re under duress, we can go in behind them and drain their energy. That’s been a big point all week.”
Hellberg is certain that the declines are not due to complacency. Mikel Arteta advised his players against doing so this week after they waited too long to overcome Rob Edwards’ Wolves.
Former Boro boss Chris Wilder was also critical of his Sheffield United players following their defeat at West Brom. He accused them of arriving expecting to win before suffering a 2-0 defeat.
Hellberg discussed how he avoids complacency, saying, “The group has a lot of confidence in their ability to play football. I believe they have demonstrated that.
“And it’s expanding, of course.It’s just a fantastic place to be, and there are a lot of cheerful people who work extremely hard to continue winning games and developing. That’s the important thing.
“I believe it is more important to create an environment in training that is consistent regardless of whether we win or lose. On the training ground, I ask the same questions of the players. I believe that’s the key.
“You may need to approach it differently. For example, if you win four in a row, you may be more strict with the players in terms of ‘bam bam bam’ information because they are confident.
“When we lose a game, we may have to twist, but we always remember that ‘this is how we train, this is how we act around each other’. Nothing changes from that.
Perhaps you’ll need to utilize a variety of techniques to remind or push them through this. That is the challenge, depending on what we are working on.
“Where the outcome is essential is utilizing it to get the most out of the next session. That is the goal all the time, or for the following week. And I believe you must do so in various ways depending on where the players are and, of course, the outcome.
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