Kim Hellberg's 'HellBall'

The Hellberg Revolution: Principles Over Formations at Middlesbrough

When Kim Hellberg arrived at Middlesbrough in late November, I didn’t see a coach bringing a preferred formation. I saw a coach bringing something far more valuable a philosophy. Fourteen games later, Boro sat top of the Championship with 31 points from those matches, more than any side in the division. But it wasn’t just about results. It was about how completely he transformed the way they played.

And that’s exactly why I love recreating Hellberg in Football Manager 26: FM26 finally lets me build a team around principles, not a rigid shape. My tactic doesn’t need to “look like” Hellberg-ball it needs to behave like it.



I’m showing it held up over 46 games: champions, 97 goals, +53 GD. That’s the exact kind of “repeatable output” I want.

The Hammarby DNA

At Hammarby, Hellberg built his reputation on possession with teeth. His side averaged 59% of the ball while winning possession in the final third more than any team in Swedish football — 174 times in 2024. Out of possession, it was relentless. High pressing, aggressive counterpressing, an obsession with winning the ball back immediately. Bielsa, De Zerbi, Guardiola, Klopp — I could see all their influences in how Hammarby hunted.

In FM26, that “possession with teeth” becomes two linked ideas I’m trying to bake into the tactic:

I keep the ball with intention (shorter combinations, play through pressure, build high-quality chances)

When I lose it, I swarm (counter-press, high press, high line, trap outside)

That’s the difference between Hellberg-ball and generic “possession” or generic “gegenpress”. I’m not pressing because the slider exists — I’m pressing because it’s the whole identity.

What Edwards Left Behind

Rob Edwards' 3-5-2 was effective but conservative. Boro won their first four games and Edwards was named Manager of the Month for August. But they ranked mid-table for possession, created fewer chances than promotion contenders should, and had a PPDA of 12.5 that suggested limited pressing intensity. When Edwards left for Wolves in November, no player had more than two goals or assists.

"I just want us to shift the game forward probably 50 yards," Edwards had said. They never quite managed it. Then Hellberg arrived.

From an FM perspective, I’ve seen that exact pattern a million times: stable, organised, hard to play through… but not suffocating. You’re hard to beat, but you’re not pinning teams back. Hellberg flips it. He turns the pitch into a smaller, uglier place for opponents.

And in my save, that shift shows up most clearly out of possession.

Flexibility Within Structure

Here’s what makes Hellberg different. "I don't have an attacking formation," he’s said plainly. In his first few games at Boro, he deployed a 4-2-2-2 — a shape he'd never used at Hammarby. "It was new for me," he admitted. But it didn’t matter because the underlying principles stayed identical.

Since then, Boro have shifted between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 depending on opposition and personnel. Morgan Whittaker's form pushes them wider. When they need control, a third midfielder appears. The formation is negotiable. What never changes is what happens when they don't have the ball.

This is where FM26 is brilliant for me: I can literally show you Hellberg’s concept on one screen.



I’m not saying “here’s a 4-3-3”. I’m saying:

when I have it, I connect and progress with control

when I lose it, I squeeze the pitch and hunt

The Defensive Constant

Hellberg's out-of-possession system is set in stone. The PPDA dropped from 12.5 under Edwards to 11.5 under Hellberg — a small number that represents a massive philosophical shift. When Boro lose possession, there’s an immediate swarm. Pressing triggers are clearly drilled: ball to a centre-back under pressure, the striker goes; played square, the winger tucks in; back to the keeper, the whole front line advances.

The compactness is key. No more than 25-30 yards between Boro's highest and lowest player. When one player presses, he’s never isolated. The counterpressing is particularly impressive — when they lose it in the opposition half, they win it back within six seconds more often than any other Championship team.

This defensive rigidity allows attacking flexibility. Hellberg knows that whatever formation he picks, his team will press the same way and defend the same spaces.

In FM26, I’ve basically hard-coded that “swarm” into the tactic:



High Press + Much Higher line = I compress the pitch and keep play in the opponent’s half

Much More Often press = pressing triggers come fast, my front line forces rushed decisions

Counter-Press = the “six second rule” vibe — win it back before they can breathe

Trap Outside = I protect the centre while still pressing high

Get Stuck In = I’m not escorting them, I’m taking the ball off them

That line about “no more than 25–30 yards between highest and lowest player”? In FM terms, that’s exactly what I get with a high engagement line + high defensive line, especially when I max the press and stay aggressive.

The Core Four

Hayden Hackney has won possession more than any Championship player (124 times) while leading the division in attacking involvements (115). Aidan Morris provides the defensive security in the double pivot that lets Hackney drive forward.

Tommy Conway has been transformed from a target man into a pressing trigger, link player, and intelligent runner. "The impact he's had on me in a short space of time has been massive," Conway said.

Morgan Whittaker tells the story of Hellberg's impact: two goals and one assist in twelve games under Edwards, seven goals and three assists in thirteen under Hellberg. His role changes game-to-game — winger, inside forward, deep playmaker — but his defensive responsibilities never do.

This is where I connect the real-life idea to what I’m doing in FM. I’m building a front line where:

Conway becomes my pressing trigger + connector (the “system striker”)

Whittaker becomes my wide finisher (the one who punishes gaps)

Hackney/Morris become the base that makes all of this sustainable



The Numbers

The transformation is stark:

From mid-table possession to league leaders

Pass completion at 85%, highest in the Championship

Only 9% long balls — lowest in the division

Creating the most chances in open play

PPDA from 12.5 to 11.5

Edwards' teams played not to lose. Hellberg's play to dominate. Even when protecting leads, Boro maintain over 50% possession. They don't invite pressure; they suffocate opponents.

In FM terms, this is where my In Possession settings do the heavy lifting: I’m not just keeping the ball — I’m shaping how I create chances.



Shorter passing + Play Through Press = I can build even when teams jump me

Higher tempo = once I escape the first wave, I hurt them quickly

Much narrower = I create central connections and overloads

Work Ball Into Box + discourage long shots = higher shot quality

Low crosses = cutbacks and near-post attacks rather than hopeful floaters

Keep Ball In Play = I sustain pressure phases and don’t reset opponents for free

This is how I “suffocate” in FM: not by spamming crosses, but by keeping opponents pinned in repeated sequences of play.

What It Means

Fourteen games isn't a season. Christmas exposed vulnerabilities — four games without a goal when teams sat deep. But Hellberg's response was telling. He didn't panic. He tweaked formations, rotated personnel, kept the defensive structure intact. Six straight wins followed.

In FM, I’ve learned the same lesson: deep blocks don’t beat me by outplaying me — they beat me by slowing my rhythm. So I don’t abandon the press. I don’t abandon compactness. I adjust the attacking relationships, but I keep the defensive constant intact.

And the season outcome is the best proof that the idea didn’t just work in a purple patch — it lasted.







Hellberg has proven I can be tactically flexible without losing identity. Formations are just starting positions. What matters is the principles — the pressing, the compactness, the immediate reaction when possession turns over. Get those right, and the rest can adapt.

Edwards gave Middlesbrough stability through a consistent system. Hellberg has given them identity through consistent principles. He’s brought a way of thinking from Sweden to Teesside: defend the same way always, attack differently constantly.

Whether it secures promotion remains to be seen. But Middlesbrough aren't the nearly men anymore. Under Hellberg, they're a team that dominates on their own terms — adapting without compromising, evolving without losing their soul. In the Championship, that’s what separates contenders from champions.