Why Kim Hellberg has snubbed Swansea City to join Middlesbrough - 2 reasons mentioned | OneFootball

Boro have finally confirmed the appointment of their new head coach, and he's revealed why he chose the Smoggies over the Swans.

Middlesbrough have confirmed the appointment of Kim Hellberg as the club's new head coach.

It's officially the beginning of a new era at the Riverside Stadium.

Having felt the shock and hurt of seeing Rob Edwards abandon them for Wolves, Hellberg has now been named as Middlesbrough's new head coach on Monday afternoon.

The 37-year-old is joined on Teesside by his previous assistant manager with Hammarby, David Selini, and it's also been reported that interim Malmö manager, Anes Mravac, has also agreed to join Hellberg's new-look backroom team in December after he's steered the Swedish side through their European clashes with Nottingham Forest and Porto.

The two main reasons why Kim Hellberg has snubbed Swansea City for Middlesbrough

It was only on 13 November that it had been confirmed that Hellberg had held talks with fellow Championship rivals Swansea City over their vacant head coach position, after the Swans parted ways with Alan Sheehan.

As such, it had at one point looked fairly nailed on that the Swede would be heading for South Wales. However, following the events that took place surrounding Edwards' exit, Boro chiefs evidently moved quickly to hone in on Hellberg, and have been successful in persuading him to head for the North East of England instead.

Speaking in his first interview as Middlesbrough head coach via the club's official website, Hellberg outlined his delight and being handed the Boro job, and revealed there was a host of reasons why he took the job, but revealed two key reasons in particular as to why he felt this move was the right one for him.

"I'm delighted to have been appointed as Boro's head coach and I'm very proud to be here," said Middlesbrough's new man in the dugout.

"A lot of things make Boro the perfect choice for me. The way they play and want to play, together with the crowd, suits me and how I want to work.

"I want us to play quick and aggressive football, and to try to win the ball as quickly as possible if we don't have it. I want us to be quick on goal and create a lot of chances.

"I've been very impressed with the players and how they've worked so far this season, and I'm looking forward to getting to work with them."

It's also been confirmed by the club that despite him now being installed as head coach, Hellberg won't make his Middlesbrough dugout debut vs Coventry City on Tuesday night, with first-team coach Adi Viveash - who is also staying on despite Hellberg's appointment - instead taking the team for the third game in a row.

Hellberg has unique opportunity in Middlesbrough - but it's not going to be easy

Given his success in Sweden, his young and progressive coaching profile, and an equally youthful and exciting coaching team joining him at the Riverside, the majority of Middlesbrough fans are seemingly delighted with the appointment of Hellberg.

And the former Hammarby, IFK Varnamo and IF Sylvia boss is walking into a unique opportunity with the Teessiders, as despite the Edwards situation unfolding the way it did, Boro still sit second in the Championship after 16 games, and boast a three-point lead to Stoke City in third.

They've fielded one of the Championship's best, well-organised and uncharitable defences so far this season, and have an abundance of high-quality players in the midfield and attacking areas of the pitch, forming a playing squad that would be the envy of just about any second tier manager.

However, there has been an Achilles' heel restricting the points total of this team so far this term, and that's the lack of goals they've been scoring, with the main symptom of this issue being the absence of a clinical nature in the final third.

No more evident were these issues made clear than in their most recent clash with Oxford United on Saturday, as Boro ended the game with 70 per cent possession, and fired 19 shots at the Oxford goal, but only three were on target (per FotMob), as Middlesbrough were held to a 1-1 draw by the U's.

Therefore, it isn't going to be the straightforward task of inheriting a team that is in the automatic promotion places and simply ensuring a continuation of performances for Hellberg, as Boro fans seem to universally agree that if these problems in attack persist, they won't be sitting where they are in the league come May.

As such, it's going to take a big coaching effort from Hellberg in his first job outside of his homeland of Sweden, but if he can deliver and implement his 'quick, aggressive' brand of football and gets Boro firing on all cylinders in attack once again, then he will be confident that with how strong Boro have been at the back, that he can cook up a recipe for Premier League promotion.