Middlesbrough replicating what Marcelo Bielsa did in Leeds United training - Kim Hellberg reveals more | OneFootball

The Boro boss has revealed his training methods are similar to that of the iconic Argentinian

It has been a fine Championship season for Middlesbrough so far, albeit the Teesside club will hope to respond to their first minor blip for some time after failing to beat Coventry City and Oxford United in their last two encounters.

After defeating Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramall Lane on February 9th, the Reds reached the second tier summit for the first time under Kim Hellberg as a result of winning six league matches on the spin. However, the accumulation of one point from a possible six against the aforementioned opponents, coupled with Coventry's back-to-back victories over Boro and West Bromwich Albion has seen the Sky Blues reclaim their position at the top of the table.

However, all is certainly not lost at the Riverside Stadium, as Middlesbrough still hold a healthy lead over third-placed Millwall with 13 matches of the regular season remaining, as they look to reclaim Premier League status for the first time since being relegated after a solitary campaign back in the top-flight nine years ago under the managements of Aitor Karanka and Steve Agnew.

After replacing Rob Edwards in November in controversial circumstances, as the 43-year-old swapped his fine start in the North East to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, Hellberg's methods have certainly caught the eye of many onlookers, with Boro often dominating matches and, in recent times, certainly putting a plethora of opponents to the sword on the scoresheet.

Perhaps then, it is no surprise that the Swede has revealed that some of the inspiration behind those methods comes from a one-time Championship title winner, whose reputation is also world-renowned.

Kim Hellberg reveals Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds United inspiration behind Middlesbrough training methods

Speaking to the Daily Mail ahead of Middlesbrough's upcoming clash with relegation-threatened Leicester City at the Riverside in midweek, Hellberg revealed that former Leeds United boss and Elland Road cult hero, Marcelo Bielsa, is the man behind some of the methods and decisions which he looks to implement at the club's Rockliffe Hall training facilities.

Bielsa, of course, already had a high reputation throughout world football prior to joining Leeds as head coach in the summer of 2018 after the Whites parted company with Paul Heckingbottom.

The Argentinian immediately adopted an unrelenting pressing style at Elland Road which saw Leeds transform their fortunes over a near four-year period under his management, which included the ending of a 16-year exile from the Premier League in 2019/20, before the West Yorkshire side went on to finish ninth in the following top-flight season.

Throughout his time with the Whites, Bielsa continued to utilise his 'murderball' sessions in training, which saw players split into two teams for a match that included no free-kicks, throw-ins or added stoppages, whilst the ball is continuously active.

Leeds players coined the phrase 'murderball' due to the intense nature of the sessions, and Hellberg has now revealed that he uses similar methods whilst also banning certain aspects of play, that are often seen in Championship clashes, on the training field.

"This is about not letting players take the easy way out," he said. "I want them to run and not pull shirts. In an actual game if we need to do it, we will. No problem. But not here, among ourselves.

"Slide tackles is the same. Be strong enough not to dive in. Also, we make players so tired – like Bielsa murderball - and when that happens they throw themselves in to things. But it shows a lack of respect and can be dangerous.

"Staying on your legs when tired is a good thing to learn and I am very clear. When I have a rule I will make it count. These things will happen but when they do I will give the ball to the opposition 10 times in a row. They will soon stop, yeah? The few rules you have, you must use well," Hellberg added.

Kim Hellberg's intense methods have brought immediate success to Middlesbrough's promotion charge

Despite their recent dip, it is clear that the intensity and fluidity which Hellberg likes to see his Boro players play with is working wonders.

Much like the aforementioned Bielsa, the 38-year-old has made an immediate impact on the Championship as a result, although he could still go one better than the 70-year-old, who failed to achieve promotion in his first season with Leeds as their automatic promotion bid faltered over the crucial Easter period, before succumbing to a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Derby County in one of the most dramatic play-off semi-final battles the division has ever seen.