We Are Middlesbrough

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Middlesbrough confirmed the appointment of Kim Hellberg as their new head coach on Monday.

The 37-year-old has replaced Rob Edwards, who left to join Wolves earlier this month.

Are fans happy with the appointment? Here are the views of some of those who got in touch with us:

Andrew: Bringing in what is only Boro's second ever foreign manager seems a bit of a gamble, but I feel optimistic that someone with a track record of attacking football might be just what we need.

Joe: Middlesbrough have needed a manager who wants to play attacking football for years. Worst case scenario - another year in the Championship with a transfer window for a manager who knows what he needs. Best case scenario - Premier League!

John: Boro and Steve Gibson have been struggling in the Championship for a long time. Doing the same thing and expecting things to change is madness. Hellberg is high risk for both Boro and himself. They are second and anything less than the play-offs will be considered a failure. Hellberg is young, his reputation is high but failing at Boro could be career-defining. Embrace the risk.

Jonathan: From a Hammarby fan. We played some incredible football under Kim and the win away at Malmo in October was described by some pundits as the best performance seen in Sweden's Allsvenskan. We only lost the league to the team who beat the all-time points record by six points. I'm very confident he will succeed at Middlesbrough and will appreciate the fan base.

Ross: Very bold choice by Boro and very sensible. But we've got to give him time. Would be great if he could help us land promotion this year.

Liam: The fans need to back him. He's had success elsewhere and although he has no experience in the EFL, we still have Adi Viveash who hopefully will guide him and teach him.

Veronica: Hellberg is definitely the man for the job. I've got total faith in him and if the players listen then we've got this.

Kim Hellberg has been chosen to succeed Rob Edwards and take over Middlesbrough's promotion charge.

The 37-year-old secured two consecutive top-flight second-place finishes with Swedish side Hammarby.

Taking charge of Boro will mark Hellberg's first venture in the English Football League.

Do you think the Swede is the right call to book Middlesbrough a place in next season's Premier League?

What are you expecting from your new boss?

Let us know your thoughts here.

This is the one we have been waiting for as the top two come face-to-face on Teesside.

Coventry's stirring 3-2 win over West Brom on Saturday, coupled with Middlesbrough being held to a 1-1 draw at Oxford means the Sky Blues hold a seven-point advantage over their opponents at the top of the Championship.

• Middlesbrough are winless in their past six league games against Coventry (D1 L5), losing each of the past four in a row.

• Coventry have won their past two away league games against Middlesbrough, more than they had in their previous 14 visits between 1982 and 2023 (W1 D6 L7).

• Middlesbrough have lost just one of their past 13 home league games (W9 D3) and are unbeaten in nine at the Riverside Stadium since a 1-0 loss against Leeds in April.

• Coventry have scored 21 goals in their eight away league games this season, just three fewer than they managed in the whole of last season on the road (24 in 23 games).

• Coventry's Haji Wright has been involved in four goals in his four league appearances against Middlesbrough (3 goals, 1 assist), with three of those coming at the Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough interim boss Adi Viveash felt his team lacked quality at crucial moments of their draw at Oxford United.

Viveash told BBC Tees: "The reality is that certainly in attacking areas, we didn't have enough of the quality moments, we didn't have the final action, final pass, cross, finish.

"Some key moments went against us and in the Championship you need certain things to go your way, especially away from home.

"It was a great goal (by Morgan) - unfortunately we had two or three more (opportunities) where we were in the same position and just missed the cross, one got pulled behind TC (Tommy Conway).

"Nineteen shots, three on target, that number needs to be higher if you're going to win a Championship game."

Middlesbrough fan Matty Proudman says that Boro appointing Kim Hellberg as their new head coach would be "a brave, bold move" but one he is excited for.

"As football fans, we always look at what they've done previously and make your own judgements on it, so that's why it's a clever move from Steve Gibson. It's only positive from the previous, he hasn't got any negative," Proudman told BBC Radio Tees.

"With where we are as a club, second in the league, challenging for the Premier League, he's [Gibson] been really clever and astute with what he's done.

"He's [Hellberg] only 37 but he's been in football a long time. He must be the most Googled man on Teeside, there's no doubt about it."

As for what playing style Hellberg could bring to the side upon his arrival, Proudman is unsure - but it's that which has him hoping for a good outcome.

"A foreign coach - something different, different styles, different methods. A lot of these coaches, they all want to play the same type of stuff. The 'Pepball', play out from the back and absolutely kill it," Proudman added.

"You don't know what you are going to get with him. It's a total unknown and I love the fact you don't know what he's going to do."

Listen to the full reaction and more Middlesbrough content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Adi Viveash says he has been "humbled" by the support he has received inside and outside the club during his spell as Middlesbrough's interim head coach.

Viveash took over team affairs when Rob Edwards was granted permission to speak to Wolverhampton Wanderers before accepting their offer to become manager.

Viveash led Boro to victory over Birmingham City at home with loud backing from the club's supporters and he will be in charge again for the trip to Oxford United on Saturday.

The Teesside club are set to appoint Swede Kim Hellberg as Edwards' replacement pending work permit clearance, but they have an experienced hand to guide them in the meantime in Viveash.

"I'm very appreciative of the support. It's very humbling," he told BBC Radio Tees.

Viveash was assistant to Mark Robins at Coventry City for seven years and before that he worked at Chelsea's academy, but it is the first time the 56-year-old has been in charge of a senior team.

And having had a season out between Coventry and his arrival at Boro in the summer with Edwards, he is appreciating the chance at the Riverside.

"I'm just somebody who's had an ability to help players and I love coaching," he said.

"I love working with players on the grass. I had 11 months out of the game so I've certainly cherished every moment of this last week because it's been really interesting and I've really enjoyed it.

"When you're out of the game, those are the times you miss - on the training ground with the players, trying to get that extra 1% out of them.

"So it's humbling, I'm working at a fantastic club for an outstanding chairman."

"It's the type of appointment Boro haven't really made before. They've had an overseas manager, they've had unproven coaches stepping up to be a head coach, but what they haven't really done before is taken a manager who is young, ambitious, making a name for himself overseas and brought him over to be a head coach in the Championship.

"While this feels like a step into the unknown, and it is to a degree, it's also a path other clubs have trod really successfully. The hope among fans is he'll come in and build on the good work Rob Edwards has done at the start of the season.

"He's coming into a club which has started really well, with a good squad in place, can he now get them to kick-on and make sure they challenge for promotion?"

BBC Radio Tees' Rob Law talks to Scott Wilson of the Northern Echo about Boro's potential new head coach Kim Hellberg.

Click here to listen to the interview and more Boro content via BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough defender Alfie Jones made his senior debut for Canada in a 2-0 friendly win over Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale.

The 28-year-old Bristol-born centre-back, who qualifies for Canada through his grandmother who was born in Alberta, played the full 90 minutes.

Canada have qualified automatically for next year's World Cup finals as joint hosts alongside the USA and Mexico.

Jones will return to Championship action with Middlesbrough at Oxford United on Saturday (15:00 GMT) having been suspended for their 2-1 win over Birmingham City just before the international break.