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Middlesbrough’s Kim Hellberg reacts on heartbreaking losses in toughest two weeks

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Middlesbrough’s Kim Hellberg reacts on heartbreaking losses in toughest two weeks

Middlesbrough’s Kim Hellberg reacts on heartbreaking losses in what has been the toughest two weeks he has ever experienced.

It was heartbreak for Boro on Saturday afternoon, went into the final having never won at Wembley in their past five attempts.

But that became six following Oli McBurnie’s 95th minute goal which sent Hull back into the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

Hellberg opened up to the media on enduring a rollercoaster week in the build-up to and during the Championship playoff final.

95th minute winner sees Hull City beat Middlesbrough in Championship playoff final

 

Kim Hellberg said after the game, per Sky Sports: “Two heart-breaking losses in one week. I’m disappointed, sad. Very flat in terms of emotions of all the things we put into the year. It is a very tough moment. I wish I could have done better through this period in finding better solutions when we didn’t score those goals.

“Put those games to bed. That’s what football comes down to. It’s my responsibility. I have to try, after the break, to develop myself and help the players better in those situations.

“It was the toughest two weeks I’ve been through. With emotions and back and forth and handling those things. From the game vs Southampton and the extra-time and how that game ended. It’s been draining emotionally. There’s no excuse. Hull scored today. We were ready to play.”

 

Kim Hellberg refuses to blame having a short time to prepare for the final after dealing with the Spygate scandal. He said, per Gazette Live:

“It’s been a very weird situation. There’s no excuse in that, it’s just been very tough, back and forth. That performance is good enough to win today, it’s maybe just not sharp enough to win it.

“When you concede that little and create those half-opportunities, I think the game is there for you to take, but we didn’t do that. It will always come down to small margins. Today wasn’t our day.”

“It’s devastating. It’s been very unique because it’s been two heartbreaking losses in one week. It makes it very tough in terms of the emotional drain. It’s such a disappointing way for it to end.

“When the game ends, you also feel very empty. I’m disappointed, sad for everyone, but also very very flat in emotions in terms of all the things you put into the year and training and the players, who have been brilliant. The supporters too.

“It is a tough moment. It is a very very tough moment. It’s a sad moment and I wish I could have done better. That’s what it always goes to. I wish I could have done better through this period – find better solutions when we didn’t score those goals, put those games to bed.

“I think we defend in a brilliant way. But we are not good enough at creating big chances from our possession. We have a lot of those moments where we drive the game forward, but don’t use those chances well enough to create big chances. We had some, but should get more.

“That’s what football comes down to. It’s my responsibility, and I have to try after the break to develop myself and help the players better in those situations to create more, to score more, and to work forward.”

After being asked about picking himself and his team-mates up again next season, he added: “There is a time to be devastated and disappointed now for everyone. That is emotions.

“It’s been a rollercoaster for everyone in the football club. It’s been up and down, and there’s a lot of emotions that’s been back and forth. Today, you have to look at the game and say, in many aspects, we did a lot of good things, but over 90 minutes, they scored one and we scored none. So you just have to congratulate Hull for the win and the promotion.”

On the future, per Northern Echo: “I don’t know what will happen. I’ve been focused on the game, and we didn’t know what league we would be playing in either. Now, it’s for us to try to pick ourselves up.

“It will be important to get new energy, then during the summer, of course we will work very hard to try to put together as good a group as possible, to try to make it next year. That’s the thing we have to do.

“This season, in many ways, has been a massive step forward for the club in terms of how we have played football, how we have performed, how we have made a bond together, how we have fought together, how we have played the way we play.

“There’s a lot of things that have been very good. But at the end of the day, while we were very close both in the league for automatic promotion and then here, we haven’t been good enough. That’s what we have to try to be next year.”

Hellberg on the foundations: “I think we have done a lot of things very well. There was a situation where we didn’t win games and that was very tough for us, with all those injuries around it.

“This [the final defeat] was tough to take, and we will have to work even harder again. I think we have built something. The fans have been absolutely amazing, and there is an opportunity for us to be even stronger from this and move forward.

“Questions about transfers or the future are better to answer later. I’m disappointed we haven’t won the game. Over this period of time, we’ve had players who were very good and performed in a very good way, but I have to take responsibility for not solving it.

“That’s what I’m most thinking about. How can I improve and get better, and taking responsibility for the way things have been. Then, it comes down to what we do next with transfers.”

Here’s what fans had to say after Middlesbrough’s Kim Hellberg reacts on heartbreaking losses in the toughest two weeks he’s experienced…

@MillwardShaine: Get some rest Kim. Enjoy some time with the family. We will bounce back next season. Plenty of harsh lessons learned from March onwards

@pickles_liam: Took over when we were 2nd and had us plummet down the league. Then blew the play offs TWICE. Not a single shot on target in the Play Off final, the biggest game of the season is criminal. How he gets so much good will from our fans I just don’t know

@Cogniti40241567: Can’t pin it on him really. If their strikers could score he would be a Premier league manager next season.

@johnparr6: He needs to sit down with Gibson and say back me or sack me because for Middlesbrough are stuck at a crossroads and have been for last couple of seasons

@smogski74: He has no plan b simple.. and then teams get one chance and beat us 1-0 in injury time. I and over 40,000 Boro fans knew how they were going to play. We will loose more than hackney in the summer, so it will have to be some rebuild

@BoroFPL: Criminal to play a back 5. Battered then 4-0 in 45 mins using 433 at their own place. Never took the game to them. Have to win these type of games – especially with the opportunity we were given! Shameful performance. Nobody tried anything. Such a wasted opportunity.

@CharlesUTB27: Giving me heavy Carrick vibes

@PaulSpooney: We lost the game because David Strelec is not THAT player. Recruitment has been horrendous! Strelec, Sene, Hansen, Sarmiento awful signings. Munroe & Casltledine was not what we needed in January

@We_are_Boro: Switch off after a bit, we didn’t create chances, we weren’t excellent. Same old after every game. I’m still undecided whether it’s a lack of option or lack of managerial ability. We may find out next season.

@mny_mrk:
Bottled the title
Bottled top two
Bottled the semi final
Bottled the final
Ladies and gentlemen, Middlesbrough FC. 👏



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