Kim Hellberg has made clear that Middlesbrough will not temper their attacking ambitions, insisting the approach generates more points than it costs, even as the goals continue to fly in at both ends of the Riverside.

Boro sit third in the Championship table after 11 matches, having scored 22 goals in the league this season. Only one club in the entire division has found the net more often. The trade-off, however, is plain to see: Hellberg's side have kept just two clean sheets, and a run of six games that produced 25 goals in total tells its own story. Boro contributed 14 of those; opponents contributed 11. Back-to-back two-goal deficits against Millwall and Cardiff City, from which they clawed draws at home, underline a vulnerability that the head coach acknowledges but refuses to treat as a reason to pull back.

"You have to pick in football what you want to be and we want to be an offensive team," Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees. "That's what we believe in. That's taken us from where we were almost a year ago, which was almost totally different to how we played football, to being the best team in the league at controlling games."

The numbers give his argument some substance. In those six high-scoring matches, Boro had nearly twice as many shots as their opponents, and registered 36 attempts in the Championship fixture against Cardiff alone. That volume of attacking intent does not happen by accident; it reflects a clear tactical identity that the Swede has embedded since taking charge.

"We're very different to a lot of teams in how we approach games, how we take them on and how brave we are," he said. "We win more than we lose because of that and that's why over a long time, we've been a team that has developed a lot. We create a lot of chances, we concede very few and from where we started, that's a massive journey."

That final line will raise an eyebrow or two given the defensive record, but Hellberg's broader point is about trajectory. Boro have won 20 of their 43 Championship matches under his management, and the team he inherited and the one that now sits on the edge of the automatic promotion places are, by his account, barely recognisable from one another.

The more immediate question is whether the balance holds across a full season. Promotion to the top flight is a stated aim, and the market tends to back sides that can defend as well as attack when the calendar tightens in the new year. Boro's supporters, who have endured 25 goals in six games with all the tension that implies, are being asked to trust the process.

Friday's trip to Bolton Wanderers offers a sharp illustration of what is at stake. A win would move Boro above the current leaders and into top spot, giving Hellberg's system its most vivid endorsement yet. A porous display, on the other hand, will invite the familiar questions about whether the back line can be tightened without the attacking output suffering.

For now, the head coach is not interested in compromise. "We are a little bit different," he said. The Championship table, at least at this early stage, is inclined to agree.

Frequently asked

Where are Middlesbrough in the Championship table?
Middlesbrough are third in the Championship after 11 games, and could move to the top of the table with a win at Bolton Wanderers on Friday.
How many goals have Middlesbrough scored this season?
Middlesbrough have scored 22 Championship goals in 11 games, making them one of the highest scorers in the division this season.
How long has Kim Hellberg been Middlesbrough manager?
Kim Hellberg has overseen 43 Championship matches as Middlesbrough head coach, winning 20 of them, according to BBC Sport figures.