Middlesbrough Head Coach Kim Hellberg has stated that he is not currently thinking about the Premier League, as he prepares his Boro side for their Championship play-off campaign.
When asked whether he is ‘Premier League-ready’, Hellberg said that “I haven’t thought about [the] Premier League that much”, before adding that “I have so many other problems in life!”
His second comment was made in jest, but given the size of the task he is about to undertake with Middlesbrough, even the concept of being in England’s top flight would appear to be at the bottom of a long list of thoughts.
“I’m just trying to, every day, be here and do everything I can for the team to start with, for the players, for the supporters, for the club”, Hellberg made clear ahead of the Teessiders’ Championship play-off semi-final first leg against Southampton.
If Boro manage to navigate a way past the Saints over two legs and reach the Wembley final, perhaps then will thoughts of the Premier League start to work their way up the ladder in Hellberg’s head.
Plotting that route to the capital will not be easy, and Southampton have recent experience of winning a play-off campaign, defeating West Bromwich Albion and then Leeds United on their way to the promised land in 2024. To that end, Hellberg admitted that their upcoming opponents having that know-how as a club will benefit them.
He stated that “they have a lot of players that played in the Premier League, that played in those situations. Of course, I think it’s important to have experience from it, in terms of being in it.”
Despite that though, Hellberg was keen to talk up the knowledge and expertise of those around him at Middlesbrough, and using them to his, and the club’s, advantage. He was adamant that he will “stay true to my own way of doing it, but also listen to the people that have been experienced from different things in terms of that.”
It could also be argued that Boro’s inexperience in situations such as these could be to their benefit. Their most recent entry into the play-offs was in 2023, which saw them lose at the semi-final stage against Coventry City, with the squad much changed since then. With no previous scars, Boro’s players can approach these fixtures with freedom.
Hellberg agreed with that assessment, saying that “it could also be good not to understand how big it is, and just go in with a free mind”.
Getting the approach right for the two legs against Southampton will be forefront in Hellberg’s mind, “then I try to leave minutes that are left for my daughter, and for my kid and for my wife”, he said with a smile.
His young family moved from Sweden earlier in the season as Hellberg joined Middlesbrough with the aim of taking them up. Now they will hope to support him as he tries to finish the job.
