Kim Hellberg praises Middlesbrough players after impressive QPR victory
Kim Hellberg admitted he was astonished by the quality of football his Middlesbrough side produced during their 3–1 win over QPR, as Boro made it four wins from four under his leadership.
Goals from David Strelec, Morgan Whittaker and a Tommy Conway penalty sealed another convincing victory, continuing an exciting run of high-energy, attacking performances since the Swede’s arrival.
While Hellberg has been central to reshaping Boro’s attacking approach, even he was taken aback by some of the moves his players put together against an in-form QPR side.
“It’s another excellent win,” Hellberg said. “During the game, you sometimes get that feeling as a coach — wondering if this might be the moment when things don’t fall your way.
“I thought we were outstanding in the opening 25 minutes and created so many chances. You start thinking, ‘If we don’t take these opportunities…’ especially against a strong team.”
Hellberg was quick to highlight the challenge posed by QPR, who had won four of their previous five matches and carry real pace and threat on the counter-attack.
“They’re a very good side with quality and speed,” he added. “But we had around 76 per cent possession and it still felt like a fast-paced game. We controlled it really well, were excellent in transition, and reacted quickly whenever we lost the ball.”
The result maintained Hellberg’s flawless start in charge, making him only the second Middlesbrough head coach since Bryan Robson in 1994 to win his first four matches across all competitions.
Perhaps most impressive, given his mid-season arrival and limited time on the training ground, has been how quickly the squad has adapted to his ideas.
“We played so well early on that you expect a drop-off at some point, but instead we kept improving and sustained the momentum,” Hellberg said. “That showed great strength from the players.
“At times in the first half I just looked at them and thought, ‘Wow, there is so much quality here’. There were countless moments where that quality really shone through.”
Hellberg credited the squad for embracing change so effectively.
“It comes down to having very good players who have been fantastic,” he said. “They deserve huge credit for adjusting to a new coach in the middle of the season and doing it so well.
“When players take their chances like this, it lifts the whole group. Of course, we want to keep improving and manage games even better over 95 minutes, but the players have been outstanding.”
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