Middlesbrough suffered play-off agony and must ensure there is no hangover
06:00, 13 Jul 2026
Middlesbrough's head coach Kim Hellberg looks on during the play-off final
Middlesbrough are at a crossroads ahead of the new Championship season - and Kim Hellberg must be backed if they are to end up going down the right road.
That's the view of EFL pundit Don Goodman, who believes Boro must be decisive if they are to ensure there is no play-off hangover when the new campaign kicks off.
Boro lost the final at Wembley in heartbreaking fashion, a last-gasp Hull City goal denying them promotion. And it has echoes of the previous season when Sunderland struck late in their semi-final against Coventry City, and again in the final against Sheffield Unitedm to seal a sensational promotion back to the Premier League.
Coventry bounced back from the disappointment by storming to the Championship title, but the Blades suffered a dismal campaign as they never fully recovered.
Goodman believes Boro now stand on the edge themselves, but believes if they can get their recruitment right - particularly a goalscorer - then they can emulate Frank Lampard's side.
Goodman told sports betting site talkSPORT Bet: “If you cast your mind back 12 months, there were two clubs particularly hurting at the hands of Sunderland. Coventry City and Sheffield United.
"Sunderland beat them both in the play-offs, I still don't know how they did it, if I'm being honest with you, because they were second best in all three games from what I can remember.
"So, the big question for Middlesbrough and for Kim Hellberg is, are they going to be a Coventry or are they going to be a Sheffield United? Those two clubs went in very different directions after their respective disappointments.
“I hope they can be inspired by what Coventry did. Boro certainly have solid foundations, but I think there's going to be a massive turnaround in the squad.
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" I think nine players have already left or been released. They’ve made signings so far, Jeremy Sarmiento did okay, but I think that transfer was probably an obligation. Then there's Myles Peart-Harris, arriving from Oxford, who is a player with real potential.
“But they need much, much more in those forward areas, particularly a predatory goalscorer. They don't exactly grow on trees, do they? But Middlesbrough do have the solid foundations of a decent squad. If they can use last season's pain as fuel for the fire, then I would certainly expect them to be up there challenging again.
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“I think Kim Hellberg is a terrific young head coach who is going places. As long as Middlesbrough give him the proper backing, I expect them to get over the disappointment and look a lot more like Coventry than Sheffield United did last season.”
Boro have also added Kyle Joseph, with the deal for the forward sealed last week to bring him to the Riverside from Hull City. However, they remain in the market for another central striker who they believe can fire them to promotion.
Hellberg is also hoping to sign a couple of midfielders, a goalkeeper and a left-back before the window closes.