Middlesbrough head of football Kieran Scott has spoken candidly about the departure of Rob Edwards last November, admitting he felt "let down" by the manager he brought to the club — while insisting that replacement Kim Hellberg has left the Championship side in a better place than the one Edwards inherited.

A surprise that "got under his nose"

Boro were second in the Championship after 15 games of the 2025-26 season when Edwards accepted an offer from Wolves, who were facing the threat of Premier League relegation at the time. For Scott, both the speed and the manner of the approach stung.

"It was a bit of a surprise, I'm not going to lie," Scott told BBC Radio Tees. "I think we gave Rob and his staff a really good opportunity to kick-on with us. So to be dealing with a club approaching after 14-15 games, it was a little bit earlier than anticipated."

What made it worse, Scott said, was the timing of the official approach, which arrived during Boro's 2-1 home win over Birmingham City. "They didn't even allow us to finish the game," he said. "So that wasn't great. It felt a little bit unnecessary and I didn't think we'd done anything to deserve that after having a really good start and backing Rob to get us where we were headed."

The episode has clearly left a mark on his personal relationship with Edwards. "We're not best mates anymore and he definitely ain't coming for tea," Scott said, with characteristic bluntness. "I felt let down because I thought that ultimately the club gave him an opportunity and he is someone I've worked with and known for a long time."

Edwards, for his part, acknowledged the difficulty of the situation at the time. "I know I would have let them down," he said in November. "I get it and I understand that. But this is something I've always wanted to do. I didn't want to live with regret."

The gamble on Hellberg

With Boro needing to move quickly, Scott, chairman Steve Gibson and chief executive Neil Bausor turned to Kim Hellberg, a 38-year-old coach who had been working in Sweden with Hammarby and who Scott freely admits was "a young guy no-one had ever heard of" in English football circles.

The decision followed a five-hour meeting with Hellberg that Scott says settled any doubts. "I knew straight away that this guy would fit Boro," he said. What drew him in was Hellberg's emphasis on freedom and fluidity in attack, something Scott felt the squad had been missing.

"This is going to sound like a dig to Rob and it's not because he did a lot of good things with the defence in that unit," Scott said. "But I think the forward players welcomed a bit of freedom and a bit of fluidity and different styles of coaching. Kim came in and he made a really big difference and he freed up some of the players that were a little bit shackled."

What the numbers actually say

Scott's claim that Boro are more dangerous going forward under Hellberg is supported by the raw scoring figures, though the full picture is more nuanced.

In Hellberg's first 30 regular-season Championship matches in charge, Middlesbrough scored 52 goals at a rate of 1.73 per game. Under Edwards across his 15-game stint, that figure was 1.21 per game. Only Southampton (57 goals in the same period) have scored more than Boro's 52 in the Championship since Hellberg arrived, according to the BBC's figures.

However, it is worth noting what the data also shows on the other side of the ball. Edwards' side conceded 0.85 goals per game; Hellberg's have let in 1.00 per game. In terms of points-per-game, Edwards edges it with a margin of 0.11. Win ratio sits level at 50 per cent for both managers.

What that tells us is fairly straightforward: Hellberg has made Boro more expansive and more entertaining, but the defensive solidity that Edwards built has loosened slightly. Whether that trade-off proves wise will depend on how the current campaign unfolds. With Boro opening the 2026-27 season with a 2-1 comeback win over Lincoln City, and the club considered among the promotion favourites by the market, Scott appears comfortable with the direction of travel.

The fuller test of Hellberg's tenure, and of Scott's judgement in appointing him, lies ahead. For now, the head of football is at least clear on one thing: whatever he feels about how Edwards left, Middlesbrough's football has moved on.

Frequently asked

Why did Rob Edwards leave Middlesbrough?
Edwards left Middlesbrough in November 2025 to take over at Wolves, who were in danger of relegation from the Premier League. He acknowledged letting Boro down but said the Wolves job was something he had always wanted.
Who is Kim Hellberg and how has he done at Middlesbrough?
Kim Hellberg is a 38-year-old Swedish coach who joined Middlesbrough from Hammarby after Edwards departed. In his first 30 Championship matches in charge, Boro scored 52 goals at a rate of 1.73 per game, making them one of the most prolific sides in the division over that period.
Are Middlesbrough favourites for promotion in 2026-27?
According to the BBC report, Middlesbrough are considered among the favourites for promotion ahead of the 2026-27 Championship season, after finishing the previous campaign strongly under Hellberg.