ALEX Neil said Middlesbrough will provide a ‘unique’ challenge ahead of Millwall’s Good Friday trip to the Riverside Stadium.
The Lions sit two points behind second-placed Boro and can leap into the automatic promotion places with a win.
Kim Hellberg’s side will pose a stern test for the Lions, having spent most of the season in the top two and leading the league in several statistical categories.
Per Opta, Boro rank top for possession (59.7 per cent), final-third passes per 90 (122.56 – 30 more than second-placed Southampton) and high turnovers per 90 (7.41).
“They’re a good side,” Neil said. “They move the ball quickly. They’ve got a unique style in terms of there’s nobody else in the league at the moment who plays like them. The closest is probably Hull, a couple of years ago under Liam Rosenior. They’ve got a sort of similar style to what they used to do.
“Tactically, it’s a good challenge. For our players, it’ll be a good challenge as well.
“A lot of the time in these types of games at this stage of the season, it’s about who can handle, I don’t like to say pressure of the game, because I wouldn’t necessarily put it down as pressure, but just the importance of the game in terms of how you can influence the match. I think that’s going to play a part in it as well.”
Hellberg was appointed Boro manager last November after Rob Edwards left to take charge of Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, and has kept his side on the same trajectory.
Neil was asked about the job the Swede has done.
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“Very good,” Neil said. “They’re an excellent footballing team. He changes a couple of little bits depending on who he’s playing against. He always has little tweaks here and there to try and combat the opposition in terms of how they press, how they build, all that sort of stuff. Really impressed.
“You can tell he’s been coaching a long time, with the tweaks that he makes in the game. Only really experienced coaches do that on a regular basis, in my experience.”
Boro could be without talisman Hayden Hackney and Morgan Whittaker, both of whom missed the draw with Blackburn Rovers before the international break, while Riley McGree and Aidan Morris only returned to training on Thursday after international duty with Australia and the USA, respectively.
Hellberg was not drawn on whether McGree and Morris would be available.
“The honest answer is of course it’s tough with so many players away,” Hellberg said. “But I’m also proud of the players going away to play for the national team. We’ll see if they can play. If they can play, they are good players so we will try to make them play.
“But of course, it’s not perfect when so many players are far away and we play early Friday but they don’t get back until Wednesday or Thursday. But, it is what it is. You have to make a positive thing out of it.
“I just cannot give you any good answers about players in that way. It’s maybe easier for me to do it after the game.
“It has to be communication between me and them. That’s how it has to be. But you can see in this squad, everyone wants to play. They are determined to play. And I think that they have shown that through this season that they are fighters.
“We are top at every running number there is in this league. So they want to play, but then of course you need to find a balance, if it’s possible. Do they do 90 or 60, or whatever it is. But everyone wants to play.”
He also addressed Hackney and Whittaker.
“He’s [Hackney] probably one of the best players in the league and our top goalscorer [Whittaker],” Hellberg said. “So, of course, for us, that’s tough. They are here and getting back.
“Again, like the international players, we will see. It’s a similar thing. It will be difficult for me to give you answers on those questions. Players coming back or players injured. It would be easier for me to do it after the game.
“They have absolutely trained. But what they have trained, I will not tell you. I think it’s very simple for me: it’s better to keep those questions for after because I don’t want to give away things.
“There’s no need to give away something to the opposition. I can tell you a better picture after the game, but let’s keep them guessing a little bit and then we can give all the information we can after the game to everyone who supports us. For the moment, we will see.”
