Kim Hellberg insists there's far more to be happy about than frustrated

Kim Hellberg will never not feel frustrated not to win a game, but flipping the Middlesbrough narrative, he insists there’s far more to be positive about than negative.

Boro sit third in the Championship table, but there’s a sense of frustration after missing an opportunity to go top last weekend when drawing at home against Cardiff City.

In what felt like a bit of a typical Boro moment, the draw with 18th-placed Cardiff City came off the back of what had been a really positive week after wins over promotion rivals Wolves and Stoke City.

Boro have now put the disappointments of their Cardiff draw behind them and will look to rectify the mistakes made in that game when they travel to take on Bolton Wanderers on Friday evening.

Flipping the rather downbeat reaction to last weekend’s draw ahead of the Bolton trip, Hellberg reminded: “There's always disappointment and frustration, you want to win every game and in the moment there can always be frustration when you don't win.

“But there's more to be happy about than frustrated about if I'm going to give you an honest answer.

Make sure you never miss the latest Middlesbrough news and opinion by making Teesside Live one of your Google preferred sources.

“If you ask me if you want to win the game against Cardiff, yeah I want to win that game. But I think we've started the season absolutely brilliantly.

“If you look at Wolves and West Ham for example and some of the favourites, we've started the season very well and there's only one team that's taken more points [Swansea City].

“It's been a very good start and there's a lot to be happy about. We create a lot of chances and concede very few.

“We just have to keep working on improving every moment and then we'll have a chance to be around there, and then we'll see if we're good enough when the season finishes.”

He flipped the narrative again on the Typical Boro element of beating Wolves and then only drawing with Cardiff. He pointed out that it was the best combination because if you flipped the results, Wolves could also win four points, whereas by beating Wolves, Boro limited them to winning a maximum of three points in the same period Boro picked up four.

Boro will get another chance on Friday evening at Bolton to hit the top of the Championship table - albeit potentially temporarily as they play the day before their rivals at the top of the league.

Like Cardiff, Bolton are newly promoted to the second tier this season and head into the game sitting 15th. But Hellberg has a warning about underestimating Steven Schumacher’s side after two good results heading into this one.

“They beat Norwich away 4-3 recently, and then in the last two beat Wolves 3-1 and drew against Southampton when they had some massive chances to win it,” the Boro boss pointed out.

“So I think if you look at their last games they've been up there at a high level and have played very well against the best teams.

“I think this is very tricky opposition. They've grown from their best games and against Stoke at home they should get something from that game.

“They've been very strong lately. It's no easy games in the league and they show that by taking points off all of those teams.”

He added: “I'm looking forward to getting to the stadium. I haven't been there but I think of the time they had Jay-Jay Okocha and Kevin Nolan and brilliant teams.

“I remember them from playing Football Manager a lot, and they were very good and strong. They have a clear style of play and the coach has done a brilliant job at giving them a clear identity.

“They've been very successful lately and are getting better all the time. They're a good side.”