sports
December 26, 2025
Cautious Middlesbrough lose ground on leaders with goalless Blackburn draw
Kim Hellberg’s determination to succeed as Middlesbrough manager runs deep. So deep that he decided it would be best if his wife and two small children spent Christmas in their native Sweden while he continued to put in long days on Teesside.
TL;DR
- Kim Hellberg, Middlesbrough manager, spent Christmas away from his family to focus on his role.
- Middlesbrough drew with Blackburn on Boxing Day, failing to secure three points as Hellberg had hoped.
- The draw kept Middlesbrough second in the Championship, eight points behind leaders Coventry.
- Questions were raised about the long-term suitability of Hellberg's 4-2-2-2 formation, which appeared overly compact and malfunctioned in its passing game.
- Todd Cantwell was a key player for Blackburn, influencing the game despite a recent injury.
- Hellberg attributed the performance issues to poor execution of his game plan, stating the team passed too much instead of driving forward.
- Valérien Ismaël praised his Blackburn team's away performance, particularly their ability to manage Middlesbrough's possession.
- Blackburn had chances, including a counterattacking opportunity where Yuki Ohashi missed the target.
- Morgan Whittaker's shot hit the post for Middlesbrough in the first half.
- Sverre Nypan was introduced in the second half for Middlesbrough but was overshadowed by Cantwell's influence.
- Hayden Hackney received a yellow card for kicking out at Taylor Gardner-Hickman.
- Blackburn stifled Middlesbrough's creativity, and Ismaël's team showed signs of improvement, potentially allaying relegation fears.
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