‘I won’t do that with my players’ – Kim Hellberg’s response to key question at Boro

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg says he will not restrict Max Arfsten to one position, instead utilizing the American's versatility on a game-by-game basis. Signed from Columbus Crew in the summer primarily as a left-back, Arfsten has operated on both flanks in defense and attack across his first two months on Teesside. He recently scored Middlesbrough's opening goal from left-back in a 2-2 draw against Birmingham City.

Hellberg explained that tactical fluidity and positional unpredictability are central to his system, with other Middlesbrough players including Adilson Malanda, Sebastian Berhalter, and Riley McGree also rotating through multiple roles. Hellberg emphasized that his team selections prioritize exploiting spaces, high pressing, and solving specific opponent threats over maintaining rigid player positions.