Kim Hellberg defends tactical switch in Boro’s Wrexham defeat & explains McGree call

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg has defended his tactical decisions following his side's 2-0 defeat away at Wrexham. Hellberg altered Middlesbrough's setup by replacing Riley McGree with Luke Ayling and switching to three central defenders to counter Wrexham's physical threat. The loss marked Boro's first league defeat since August and ended their streak of scoring in every league match this season.

Injured top scorer Will Lankshear also missed the match and was replaced by Kyle Joseph. Hellberg explained that McGree was unable to start two fixtures in five days due to travel demands. Although Middlesbrough held Wrexham scoreless for the first hour, Hellberg reverted to a flat back four with three substitutions, after which Wrexham scored twice to secure victory.