“I THINK we faced the best team we have played since the start of the season.” That was QPR boss Julien Stephan’s reaction after his side were ravaged at the Riverside on Saturday afternoon. As recently as late August, QPR were beaten 7-1 by Coventry City. So, he knows a good team when he sees one.

While there was an understandable sense of uncertainty when Kim Hellberg was appointed as Middlesbrough’s head coach towards the end of last month, with the 37-year-old having never previously managed outside Sweden, the secret is now well and truly out. Boro have got themselves the real deal. As only the second Boro boss to win his first four games in charge, following in the footsteps of Bryan Robson, Hellberg is already creating history.

A side that was defensively sound but attackingly c

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