The latest headlines as Middlesbrough enters the international break on a terrible run of Championship results.

Middlesbrough enter the international break on the heels of a dismal 0-0 stalemate against Blackburn Rovers, as the Championship promotion chase intensifies.

Despite having all of the possession, Boro were unable to generate a crucial chance at Ewood Park, and they are now winless in their past three games, scoring just once, with only two wins in their last eight. Kim Hellberg will now have the opportunity to reorganise his men and assess the situation ahead of the season’s final push, with Boro not playing again until Friday, April 3rd, when they face Millwall at home in a key second-vs-fourth match. So, with that in mind, what are the latest Riverside Stadium headlines?

Tommy Conway’s tactical switch explained

Middlesbrough’s lack of a clear striker has harmed them this season, with winger Morgan Whittaker leading the way with 11 goals. Tommy Conway is the next highest scorer with eight goals, but only two of them have come since February.

Hellberg made a small alteration at Blackburn on Saturday, moving Conway to a spot behind striker David Strelec, mostly operating from the left but allowed to drift inside. Ultimately, the Scotland international failed to take a single shot, and Boro’s xG dropped from 2.72 against Bristol City to 1.56 at Ewood Park (per FotMob).

It was undoubtedly an unexpected move for Boro fans, but Hellberg has sought to justify his choice, noting that Conway struggles against teams that play a low block, a strategy used by a Blackburn side still fighting for relegation.

“I see Tommy more as a mobile player who pulls away to the left,” explained the Boro manager, whose team remains second in the table despite recent troubles. “He’s really good in that system, which has gradually changed throughout the season.

“Tommy is an excellent center number nine against a team that prefers to push high and leave space. So, during the Preston game, for example, he was really good at rushing into space. “When he plays against teams that defend lower, I believe he is sometimes better on the left in terms of maximizing his abilities. He’s scored goals and provided assists from that position.

“We’ve been focusing a lot of our training efforts lately on working with him to the left. He is an excellent wide player against lower [defending] teams. In those games, the space is generally spread out rather than central. I believe he has done an excellent job of learning that role, and he has recently been quite effective out to the left, running one-on-one and finding combinations.

“We’ve gained a lot of points from his work on the left, including an assist against Leicester, a goal against QPR, and a penalty. He is a good deep runner, but if there is no central space, he could be better off working from another angle.” Given his ineffectiveness at Ewood Park, it would be surprising if Conway lined up on the left again against Millwall.

Tommy Conway’s tactical switch explained

Middlesbrough’s lack of a clear striker has harmed them this season, with winger Morgan Whittaker leading the way with 11 goals. Tommy Conway is the next highest scorer with eight goals, but only two of them have come since February.

Hellberg made a small alteration at Blackburn on Saturday, moving Conway to a spot behind striker David Strelec, mostly operating from the left but allowed to drift inside. Ultimately, the Scotland international failed to take a single shot, and Boro’s xG dropped from 2.72 against Bristol City to 1.56 at Ewood Park (per FotMob).

It was undoubtedly an unexpected move for Boro fans, but Hellberg has sought to justify his choice, noting that Conway struggles against teams that play a low block, a strategy used by a Blackburn side still fighting for relegation.

“I see Tommy more as a mobile player who pulls away to the left,” explained the Boro manager, whose team remains second in the table despite recent troubles. “He’s really good in that system, which has gradually changed throughout the season.

“Tommy is an excellent center number nine against a team that prefers to push high and leave space. So, during the Preston game, for example, he was really good at rushing into space. “When he plays against teams that defend lower, I believe he is sometimes better on the left in terms of maximizing his abilities. He’s scored goals and provided assists from that position.

“We’ve been focusing a lot of our training efforts lately on working with him to the left. He is an excellent wide player against lower [defending] teams. In those games, the space is generally spread out rather than central. I believe he has done an excellent job of learning that role, and he has recently been quite effective out to the left, running one-on-one and finding combinations.

“We’ve gained a lot of points from his work on the left, including an assist against Leicester, a goal against QPR, and a penalty. He is a good deep runner, but if there is no central space, he could be better off working from another angle.” Given his ineffectiveness at Ewood Park, it would be surprising if Conway lined up on the left again against Millwall.