Kim Hellberg action vs Hull City was a stroke of genius - Middlesbrough fans never saw it coming | OneFootball

Alex Gilbert was exceptional alongside Hayden Hackney for the Reds in their 4-1 success

It was a statement win for Kim Hellberg in just his second game in charge of Middlesbrough on Friday night, with the Swede's new chargers well and truly putting Hull City to the sword.

Despite enjoying the best possible start to his tenure at the Riverside Stadium with a dramatic comeback victory over Derby County last weekend, there was still a small sense of uncertainty as to how the Reds would fare against a Tigers side who have proven tricky customers for several sides expected to be challenging for promotion from the Championship and into the Premier League.

You would certainly not have thought that it was the North East side who arrived late to the MKM Stadium amid traffic gridlock and horrific weather conditions, as the side looking to capitalise on any potential slip-ups from runaway league leaders, Coventry City, well and truly justified their position as the 'best of the rest' behind Frank Lampard's free-scoring Sky Blues.

Indeed, it was a first-half masterclass in intensity, domination and ruthlessness from Middlesbrough, who got off to the best possible start after nine minutes when David Strelec slammed home his second goal for the club, before Alex Gilbert's second goal at the MKM Stadium in just under 12 months lit the blue touchpaper for an unrelenting and mind-blowing 12-minute period leading up to the half-time break.

Morgan Whittaker then made it 3-0 on 35 minutes with a curling strike that left Ivor Pandur with very little chance, before Riley McGree struck a fourth nine minutes later.

Of course, the only minor blemish on a remarkable night in East Yorkshire for Hellberg was the concession of a penalty which Joe Gelhardt turned home for his 10th of the campaign, and it was no surprise that the newly-appointed Swede waxed lyrical about several facets of his side's play.

However, it cannot be understated how much his side were able to dominate proceedings in HU3 due to a pre-game tactical tweak which not many envisaged.

Kim Hellberg pulled off tactical masterclass for Middlesbrough in Hull City rout involving Alex Gilbert

In what was his first team selection in English football, Hellberg opted to utilise the experience of Republic of Ireland international and Sunderland loanee, Alan Browne, in a double pivot alongside the constantly influential, Premier League quality figure of Hayden Hackney against the Rams, with the aforementioned McGree subsequently replacing the 30-year-old nine minutes into the second half.

Three changes were then made ahead of Friday's delayed kick-off, with Browne's absence due to injury paving the way for Gilbert to come back into the fold for the first time this season, having previously been an unused substitute for the past four outings under Adi Viveash's spell as interim boss, as well as Hellberg's curtain-raiser against Derby, and he surprisingly came into the double pivot, despite being an attacking midfielder.

As such, it was a huge show of faith from the 37-year-old against a Hull side known for normally bringing a strong combativeness and energy to their own midfield, albeit questions have certainly been raised regarding Sergej Jakirovic's initial combination of Amir Hadziahmetovic and Regan Slater, with the latter being substituted at half-time.

With Gilbert and Hackney both holding desires to burst forward and join an attack fronted by Strelec, Whittaker, McGree and Tommy Conway, it was certainly not a double pivot combination which many supporters who travelled down from Teesside saw coming.

However, it proved to be a masterstroke from Hellberg, whose time in charge of Hammarby showcased a strong onus on energy and unrelenting pressing from midfielders in order to free up space across the pitch.

Gilbert failed to put a foot wrong in his first start since netting a 91st-minute winner against the Tigers on New Year's Day, unleashing a fierce drive to double Middlesbrough's advantage after taking up a strong position on the edge of the box, as well as providing Whittaker with an assist three minutes later whilst Hull's defence and midfield appealed for a foul on the aforementioned Slater.

Kim Hellberg's Alex Gilbert action could leave Middlesbrough players fearing for their positions

Post-match, Hellberg highlighted Gilbert as one of many plus points for his mentality throughout the 90 minutes and in the lead-up.

“He repaid me ten times with that performance. But again, he's worked so hard since I arrived and didn't get any minutes against Derby but has performed very, very good. Keep performing very, very good in the in the sessions and yeah, he deserved it.”

The newly-appointed head coach then revealed that Browne should be back in his plans for Tuesday's upcoming clash with Charlton Athletic at The Valley - a club who Gilbert registered four assists in 14 games for on loan in the second-half of last season in League One.

However, based on initial evidence, there is clear scope for Hellberg to transform the Birmingham-born man into a deep-lying midfielder as well as a player who can star in a more natural advanced role, which could have several colleagues fearing for their own places in matchday squads over the coming weeks.