Sliding-doors moment that could prove the making of Boro

THREE games, three wins, eight goals.

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Kim Hellberg is finding this Championship lark easy!It’s still very early days in the Swede’s reign at Middlesbrough, but it's hard not to be so impressed by the new head coach. Whisper it quietly, but Rob Edwards’ decision to leave for Wolves might end up being a real sliding-doors moment for Boro.

To Edwards’ credit, he and his coaching team orchestrated an excellent start to the season. What Hellberg inherited on Teesside has made his job that little bit easier.

It would be unfair to rewrite history and kick a man while he’s down. But, as Edwards’ Wolves continue to look woefully ill-equipped in the Premier League, it's hard not to draw comparisons to Boro pre-Hellberg, and the clear improvements already made in such a short space of time.

For as solid as Boro's start had been under Edwards, the signs were starting to show of a side who had perhaps overachieved in the early weeks of the season. They'd won only three of their 11 games prior to Hellberg’s arrival.

The new head coach has now won three in as many games. And in doing so, he’s halved the gap to leaders Coventry City from ten points to five in just a fortnight.

It’s been mightily impressive stuff, not just because of the results, but because of the manner of them too. Despite suggesting initially that his changes would be minor, this Boro team are night and day from Edwards’.