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Newcastle United’s new head coach Matthias Jaissle says he will look to maintain his “connection” with England manager Thomas Tuchel.

Jaissle described his compatriot as a “special coach” and made clear that he will seek to use the advantages of that relationship as he prepares to tackle the Premier League.

Tuchel, who was Jaissle’s coach at Stuttgart, won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and finished runner-up in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup with the Blues.

As a result of his impressive CV, he was then appointed as England manager in 2025, following a spell at Bayern Munich.

“I really admire him”, Jaissle said.

”I appreciate him a lot, what he did already and what he will do for sure in the future.

”I’m looking forward to staying in touch with him, [and] also getting a bit of insight from him about the league. That’s something I want to use for sure.”

Certainly, Jaissle has a large task ahead of him at Newcastle, following the departure of captain Bruno Guimarães. However, the German made clear that the Magpies want to be both ambitious and successful.

However, he stopped short of confirming what his remit for this season is from the Newcastle board.

But Jaissle’s arrival has injected fresh optimism into the fan base, although there is an acceptance that more incomings are required.

Top of the agenda will be a versatile full back and a central midfielder to replace the talismanic Guimarães.

Newcastle United’s new head coach, Matthias Jaissle, has talked up the potential of the club upon his arrival.

Jaissle, who has replaced Eddie Howe at Newcastle, has detailed his excitement about the future of the club after signing a four-year deal, saying: “I fully and unreservedly believe in this project, the ambition and the direction the club is taking.”

Despite his success at Al-Ahli, Jaissle felt that this was an opportunity he could not turn down.

”When Newcastle United comes your way, you take notice,” he added

“I have followed the club’s journey closely in recent years and the progress that has been made is clear for everyone to see.

“There is a clear vision, strong leadership and an exceptional platform to build on.

”My teams are built on togetherness, hard work, intensity and a passion to improve every single day. I will bring full commitment, full energy and a determination to give everything I have to help this club achieve its ambitions.”

The 38-year-old German was also complimentary of the Magpies’ squad, despite the recent losses of key players, which is also set to include Bruno Guimaraes, who is closing in on a move to Arsenal.

That combined with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali both departing earlier in the summer means that Jaissle and the club must quickly get to work on further incomings.

Newcastle’s CEO David Hopkinson said that the club “conducted a thorough process, and he [Jaissle] has emerged as the clear candidate for the role. He possesses all the qualities we were looking for.”

Dutch midfielder Sean Steur believes that he is capable of rising to the “challenge” of the Premier League with Newcastle United.

Following his pre-season debut for the Magpies against Gateshead on Saturday, the 18-year-old outlined his confidence in his own abilities, stating that “I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t think I was able to do that [play in the Premier League]”.

Despite the 1–1 draw with Gateshead only being a friendly, Newcastle staff and supporters alike were impressed by Steur’s composure on the ball and willingness to play forward.

Steur recently arrived on Tyneside from Dutch giants Ajax and made clear that his time there, both in the academy and the first team, was instrumental in developing him as a player and a person.

“Players have come from there who are now in the best clubs in the world and I hope to be one of them,” he said, with confidence oozing from his answer.

He added that “I don’t really like to compare [myself to other players] because everybody is his own player and I just play my own game, and that’s what I try to do.”

It was evident from this solitary match that Steur possesses the technical ability to go far, but that he will need further coaching from Eddie Howe during his time at Newcastle to help fully develop him as an elite-level talent.

Steur described Howe as “really energetic” and said that Newcastle’s head coach has already helped him a lot in training to understand exactly what he wants from him.

Howe himself was very complimentary of Steur’s display against Gateshead, saying that “he can be really pleased with his performance”, but tempered expectations of Steur and the Magpies’ other young additions ahead of the new season.

Whilst Howe was openly supportive of the club’s transfer policy this summer of bringing in youth, he acknowledged that losing the experience of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali has hurt them.

Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães is also the subject of links to Arsenal, although no club-to-club talks have yet occurred according to those on Tyneside. There has been talk of a potential £70 million bid for Guimarães, but this would likely be rejected by the Magpies.

Guimarães is set to return to training with Newcastle, alongside Steur and the rest of the squad, on Friday as they head to Spain for a warm-weather camp.

Newcastle upon Tyne is a loyal and loving city. The football club is its beating heart, and it cherishes its heroes like few others. From Hughie Gallacher to Jackie Milburn, Bob Moncur to Malcolm Macdonald, Peter Beardsley to Andy Cole, Alan Shearer to Sir Bobby Robson, and Eddie Howe to Bruno Guimarães — all have risen to almost God-like worship on Tyneside.

Perhaps rising to the top, however, is Kevin Keegan, a man so incredibly revered by the people of Newcastle during his three spells of association with the club. His understanding of what Newcastle United could, and indeed should, be undoubtedly made the club what it is today.

As a result, news of his death on Monday, at the age of 75 from cancer, has seen an outpouring of grief so intense that, less than 24 hours later, the space outside the south west corner of St James’ Park has become awash with flowers, shirts, scarves, and bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale. Tears have been shed and prayers have been offered for the one known in these parts as ‘the Messiah’.

Leading the tributes late on Tuesday afternoon was United’s current head coach Eddie Howe, along with club staff and dignitaries. Howe’s face was one of clear sadness and sorrow. Upon his arrival to Newcastle in 2021, he spoke with Keegan about the task that he was undertaking, with the club, at that point, sat second bottom of the Premier League table.

Nearly five years later, Newcastle have twice qualified for the Champions League and ended the long, long wait for major silverware — the one thing Keegan was unable to do during his time in charge. Of course, that was not for the want of trying, and indeed it is because of that effort, and that understanding that Keegan brought to Newcastle, that he is so loved.

As a player, Keegan joined Newcastle from Southampton in 1982, with the Magpies in the Second Division — quite the move for someone who had been crowned Ballon d’Or winner for two consecutive years in 1979 and 1980 whilst at Hamburg. By 1984, Keegan and Newcastle had achieved promotion, with the mercurial number 7 then departing St James’ Park in a helicopter following a testimonial match against Liverpool.

In 1992, he returned to Newcastle with the club on the brink of not only relegation to the Third Division but financial disaster too. Such was his belief in the club and the city, however, that just four years later Newcastle came within a whisker of winning the Premier League.

Such was Newcastle’s points lead over Manchester United in January of the 1995/96 season that you’d be forgiven for thinking that many on Tyneside would see Keegan’s failure to see his side over the line as a calamity that would be better off being forgotten. But no. Not with Keegan. Not when television cameras pictured him slumped over the advertising hoardings as Newcastle lost 4–3 at Anfield in the last minute, and certainly not when, with just two games to go, Keegan delivered his famous “I would love it” monologue/rant live to the nation.

Who in black and white could not love a man who showed that level of passion, hurt, anger, and despair when representing their football club?

As has been told on countless occasions, Newcastle did miss out on the title, and several months later Keegan was gone, perhaps unhappy with some of the decisions at boardroom level at the club, whilst also feeling that he could take the club no further. Before that, though, came the signing of Alan Shearer and a famous 5–0 win over Manchester United.

Forays with Fulham, England, and Manchester City came and went, before the second coming in 2008. Keegan’s return to Newcastle was met with huge joy, but the happiness would be short-lived. A fallout with the then owner Mike Ashley and his aides led to Keegan’s resignation — a battle which would end up in the courtroom, ending with a victory for Keegan.

Since then, Keegan’s appearances in the North East have been mostly via talk-in events and dinners, and it was after one of these events that I myself got to meet the man.

Whilst I personally was born after the swashbuckling heyday of Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’, it’s quite difficult, when from the North East, to be oblivious to the stories of what happened and what Keegan did for Newcastle. I do, however, remember his second spell in charge, and even that brief period was enough to render him a hero to the younger version of myself.

They do say, of course, never meet your heroes, but whoever made that statement universally known clearly never met Kevin Keegan. After the particular talk-in I attended in early February 2019 at the City Hall in Newcastle, I eagerly waited at the stage door with my dad, hoping to get a picture with the man himself.

I was not alone in waiting for King Kev. There were several more groups of people who had been at the show, all waiting to meet the Messiah. It’s well documented that Keegan was always generous with his time, and on this occasion he was no different. He went round every person who was there waiting for him, to either chat, take a picture, or sign an autograph.

It couldn’t have been a more enjoyable encounter, and because of that single moment, I was then able to fully understand what Keegan meant to Newcastle, and why now, just over seven years later, the grief and sadness felt by the city is overwhelming.

Newcastle United have announced that, when the time is right, they will mark Keegan’s passing with some form of permanent tribute, be that a statue, a stand named after him, or indeed both. For now, though, the mourning continues.

In the meantime, a new season with new challenges is approaching for the Magpies, and quite fittingly the first match will see Newcastle welcome Liverpool to St James’ Park, another club and city where Keegan is adored. What was going to be a fixture marked by the return of Alexander Isak to Newcastle will instead become an event used to remember a man as great as Kevin Keegan. He will never be forgotten.

Régis Le Bris is a calm man, but even he must have been sick of the amount of times he was asked by reporters about the possibility of qualifying for Europe during the previous campaign. It never showed however, and even when asked by North East Football TV whether it did bother him, he politely made clear that he often did not realise.

Reporters asked, of course, because it was always a distinct possibility. Sunderland were always in the mix, and even if Le Bris never wanted to publicly admit that, he and his players knew internally how close they were, and spoke about it being a target. Therefore, Sunderland will have undoubtedly been preparing for a continental adventure.

It’s worth noting that this has happened before with Le Bris and Sunderland. As was well pointed out by Michael Walker of The Athletic, Sunderland were incredibly well prepared for Premier League life, such was their proximity to the top of the Championship last season. They secured a Play-Off spot early, and following their promotion, they had a well thought out strategy, which allowed them to navigate the transfer window and buy successfully.

Heading into the Europa League, they will need to buy well again. They perhaps will not need to buy to the same numerical extent that they did last summer, when 15 new players headed to the Stadium of Light, but they will need to add depth. Competing on the both domestic and European fronts requires a squad that can be rotated, otherwise one or more competitions will be severely impacted. Just last season we all saw how Nottingham Forest’s Premier League campaign was hurt by their exploits in Europe.

Until the final weeks of the season, Forest were in a relegation battle, whilst simultaneously making it to the semi final stage of the Europa League. Whilst Sunderland would love a run to the latter end of the Europa League, it cannot allow them to be dragged into a scrap to survive in the top flight, and undo all of the hard work that has been done at the club to get them where they are.

North East neighbours Newcastle United have seen drop-offs when playing in the Champions League alongside domestic competitions, owing in part to their squad not having enough depth to cope, with injuries also being a huge hindrance. Last season, Newcastle tried to compete in both domestic cups as well as the Premier League, which whilst noble, was, in hindsight, not really possible.

What Sunderland’s transfer policy actually is commands more intrigue, however. Depth, as mentioned, is needed but where will that come from? Last summer’s policy saw the majority of players signed from Europe, which is not uncommon, but the Black Cats were clever, and went for players who were not household names - Granit Xhaka being the only exception. Most however, such as Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo Mandava and Chemsdine Talbi, still had top level experience and some even had European calibre, which all came together to form one cohesive unit.

The only slight concern is that given the players were not household names, and therefore not fully at their peak, they did appear weaker without Xhaka, when the Swiss midfielder missed games through injury. Could it therefore be the case that Sunderland need to buy more Granit Xhaka types?

Well, maybe, but in competing for big names, Sunderland will eventually come up against clubs who can pay more in wages for these players, which as Newcastle United found out last summer, will often see them miss out. Xhaka was a brilliant coup, but not all will come as willingly. So, what is the alternative?

That would be to continue buying potential from Europe at lower prices (and lower wages). That would be the easier and most cost-effective way to add depth, but will it leave them struggling again if Xhaka, and others who are now more Premier League-developed, get injured as a result of the fixture pile up?

These are the options facing Le Bris, Director of Football, Florent Ghisolfi and, of course, Chairman, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. This brings us full circle however, because as was made clear, Sunderland will have been preparing for this window for some time now, and that decision will have already been made. It is now a case of executing the plan and delivering the goods, as they did last summer. Kristjaan Speakman, who was influential in his role as Sporting Director, is no longer at the club, but those who remain must be confident in their own abilities.

A season of excitement and intrigue lies in wait for Sunderland then, but not letting it turn sour is highly dependent on what happens during the coming weeks. They have been here before, now they must do it again.

When Newcastle United were bought by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, the Reuben Brothers and PCP Capital Partners in 2021, finishing 12th in the Premier League in 2026 was not on the agenda. Yes, some of the claims made in the wake of the purchase were, in hindsight, unachievable, but for the club to have regressed to a bottom half side is indeed a failure.

That said, the period up until the 2025/26 campaign has been nothing short of a remarkable success. Two Champions League qualifications and winning the Carabao Cup represent a stark contrast to the club that was happy to tread water in the top flight under the previous ownership. So, what has gone wrong in the last year, and more importantly, what can be done to steer the ship back on course?

Off-Pitch: Newcastle must act more professionally

It perhaps feels strange not to start with the on-field issues that plagued Newcastle’s previous campaign, but given that so much in football in the modern world is dictated by what happens in the boardroom, it is therefore more fitting to begin there.

Last summer was nothing short of a disaster for Newcastle United. In Paul Mitchell, they had a departing Sporting Director who did not help in their transfer exploits up until June. They then failed to replace him quickly enough, meaning that the rest of the window was navigated by Eddie Howe and Andy Howe, with clubs they wanted to do business with unsure who the point of contact was. They also had no Chief Executive Officer, with Darren Eales having departed to focus on his cancer treatment.

This meant that they were going into deals for players under equipped, and competing against clubs with better structures in place. That coupled with Newcastle being unable to match wages offered by the other parties created an ongoing situation in which they kept missing out on their targets. It culminated with Newcastle’s squad depth increasing, but their overall quality reducing, especially when they eventually blinked and sold Alexander Isak.

They now have David Hopkinson and Ross Wilson in place as CEO and Sporting Director, respectively, and there is already evidence that their know-how was of benefit in the recent sale of Anthony Gordon. Wilson made clear that “conversations involving the club, led by David Hopkinson and myself, as well as Anthony’s representatives, have been conducted confidentially and with a great deal of professionalism on all sides.” That is more promising.

Replacing Gordon (as well as strengthening several other positions) is what comes next though, and many will hope that Newcastle have learnt lessons regarding their ability, or rather non-ability, to match big wages offered by other clubs for top ‘Premier League proven’ players. It cost them dear last summer, and there is word that the upcoming transfer window will see the club revert to a policy of bringing in players from the continent who are already good but can be developed, similar to Sven Botman, Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali when they first arrived.

Of course, it was understandable why Newcastle were attempting to sign top level players last summer, given their need to improve the starting lineup and compete on several fronts. However, given the reality of their comparative revenue income to the ‘big six’, that still remains difficult.

Therefore, until Newcastle are matching the revenue streams of those clubs, they must box clever in regard to incomings. That being said, CEO Hopkinson has set out a very public aim that the club will be elite by 2030. This seems unlikely, and perhaps he would have been better off adding five years onto his plan, but regardless, the pace of off-field decisions must be quicker, including transfers.

Announcements for a new training ground and new stadium (or renovation and extension of St. James’ Park) have been ‘imminent’ for far too many months now, almost to the point where the word ‘imminent’ seemingly must have a different definition in the dictionary at St. James’ Park.

If Hopkinson and the rest are able to come together this summer, and in the months following, and show real, tangible progress, then the boardroom will finally be able to back what is happening on the pitch.

On-Pitch: Newcastle must become more versatile

There are many criticisms of Newcastle United’s Premier League performances that could be mentioned here, but in short, they boil down to two glaring issues: a lack of creativity and versatility going forward, and a defence that has become far too leaky.

Starting in attack, Newcastle have simply become far too predictable for much of the season. The 4-3-3 system that served them so well in the first four years post-takeover has faced criticism for becoming too rigid and passive. Eddie Howe has experimented with small tweaks, such as playing Nick Woltemade in something of a partnership with either Yoane Wissa or William Osula, but stuck with his tried and tested formation for much of the campaign.

When asked by North East Football TV in January about finding new ways to break teams down, Howe responded by saying that “I’ve had a couple of questions where people think we play the same way every game, and nothing could be further from the truth. We have a game plan for every single game and those game plans are different”. He then added that they have always liked to switch to a 4-4-2 style off the ball, but whatever has been the case, it has been far too easy for teams to defend against.

To that point, Newcastle’s lack of creativity in both wide areas and attacking midfield has not helped them, and they must address that in the transfer window and be brave in finding a new style that can suit their talents.

This isn’t to say that the 4-3-3 style is dead, far from it in fact. There will always be opponents where pressing and transitions can win games, but as has often become the case, winning against sides who sit deep requires more creativity in advanced areas, and not sheer pace and power.

Then there is the issue of defence. In Howe’s first full season on Tyneside, the Magpies boasted one of the meanest defensive records in the Premier League, making this drop-off all the more remarkable. Not many from Newcastle’s defensive cohort can boast that they had a good season in the previous campaign, and even those who did, such as Malick Thiaw and Lewis Hall, experienced drop-offs in the final few weeks.

Fabian Schär’s injury certainly did not help, and news of a one year contract extension for the Swiss defender is welcome, but Newcastle will do well to cut out the individual errors that cost them many goals last season. That includes those from the goalkeeping department.

Of course, much of this comes down to what can be done in the transfer window, and then in pre-season, highlighting again the importance of getting the off-field situation right in order to aid what happens on-field. Eddie Howe will know that, but he must also know that some of his in-game decision making must be better. Several substitutions felt pre-planned last season, like-for-like on too many occasions that did not positively impact the way Newcastle were playing during matches. With the benefit of more options, it will be hoped that Howe can be braver, but it again comes back to whether he is able to add versatility to the way in which Newcastle set up to break teams down.

Supporter satisfaction

With the main points that will contribute to how Newcastle United perform dealt with, there are now only a few smaller issues to contend with that would please supporters. Firstly, the club must improve the way that the atmosphere generates ahead of kick off. Admittedly, they have already made a positive start, by adding a new safe-standing section in Level 7 next to the away fans, but more can be done.

Whilst I cannot speak for all inside of St. James’ Park, the removal of ‘Hey Jude’ as a pre-match walkout song would likely go down well with many. Yes, people join in given the ease at which the accompanying chant is sung, but there are many more songs and artists from the North East that could be used. ‘Home Newcastle’ and ‘The Blaydon Races’ (although not the current iteration) should be made more prominent, and sung as one, whilst numbers from AC/DC, Dire Straits, even The Police or Lindisfarne could be used more often. And, whilst Sam Fender is popular, the club should not rely so heavily on him and his tunes.

Other clubs also have ‘hype videos’ pre-match played on the big screens, and whilst the name is slightly cringeworthy, they work. Take Sunderland for example. Their use of Granit Xhaka speaking ahead of kick off is rather rousing. Newcastle are installing more big screens inside of St. James’ Park for next season, so why not put them to good use?

Finally, more could be done to benefit loyal, match-going supporters too. Whilst it is understandable that Newcastle need to enhance their global brand, there could be more opportunities for those who commit plenty of time and money following the club week-in, week-out, to be involved with campaigns or to meet their heroes.

Is it all possible?

The short answer is yes, it should be. If Newcastle want to be the best, as David Hopkinson has made abundantly clear, they need to start acting like it, or at least make explicit their progress, and willingness to adapt and improve.

Naturally, what happens on the pitch will dictate the feeling in and around the club next season, but that, alongside everything else mentioned, can go a long way to making sure that Newcastle one day do become the club that it wishes to be.

One year ago, following their promotion to the Premier League via the Championship Play-Offs, Sunderland were odds to be relegated straight back to England’s second tier. To many on Wearside, finishing 17th on goal difference would have constituted a successful season. And yet, here we are one year on, with Sunderland having qualified for the Europa League.

They did thanks to a final day victory over World Champions Chelsea, a side who despite that label, looked flat and uninspiring. Sunderland, however, were the complete antithesis of that. They were strong, powerful and full of determination, bullying Chelsea for large parts of the encounter. Both sides on the pitch could have qualified for Europe, but only one looked like they wanted to.

“With talent, with hard work, something can happen”, said Régis Le Bris following the full time whistle, praising the collective effort his players had just put in to achieve the priceless 2-1 victory. Of course, Sunderland were relying on other results to go their way in order to get into this position, but, as Le Bris said, “something can happen”. And it did.

The combination of a Trai Hume strike, Malo Gusto own goal, along with Brighton’s loss against Manchester United and Brentford’s draw with Liverpool, meant the euphoria of a seventh place finish for the Black Cats. Le Bris made clear that he and his players “trust the process, work hard [and] keep the same routine”. Whatever they had done, it had worked.

From the first whistle, there was only ever going to be one winner of this match. Sunderland were hungry, as they had been all season. Their relentless press hustled and harried Chelsea, to the point where something had to give eventually.

Quite fittingly for Sunderland, the opening goal was orchestrated by a pair of players who have been with the club since their days in League One. Luke O’Nien found Trai Hume, whose shot sailed past Robert Sánchez at his near post. For all of the new players that arrived at Sunderland last summer, the fact that it was those two who pushed them towards the finishing line made that goal extra special.

O’Nien and Hume could not win the game on their own though, so up stepped Granit Xhaka, Sunderland’s very own manager on the pitch, so to speak, to guide them toward the continent.

He made sure that Sunderland did not rest on their laurels, and instead attacked the start of the second half in the same way they had attacked the start of the first. Predictably, within minutes, the Black Cats had a second.

It was not the most aesthetically pleasing goal, given that Brian Brobbey’s scuffed shot deflected into the net off Cheslea’s Malo Gusto, but it was enough.

“His influence has been massive”, Le Bris said of Xhaka. “He’s a great player, first of all, because the way he plays on the pitch, it’s brilliant for a team - composure, always smart, with the belief that we can press and adapt in real time and he’s a great leader as well.”

Sunderland then did have to adapt in real time, as from nothing, Chelsea pulled a goal back - Cole Palmer finding the bottom corner from range with a shot that Robin Roefs will have been frustrated to have not kept out. Naturally, there grew a nervousness in the air, as Cheslea’s tails went up, but the subsequent sending off of Wesley Fofana for a second yellow card, allowed Xhaka and his men to steady the ship.

When the final whistle blew there were tears aplenty. Football is all about emotions, and this was Sunderland’s moment to savour in the sun, where every supporter, young and old, had to take a moment to grasp what they had witnessed.

Whatever happens after this point, no one of a red and white persuasion will forget how that moment and how it made them feel. What’s more, Sunderland’s players, from the old stalwarts O’Nien and Hume, to Xhaka, to local lad Chris Rigg all felt exactly the same as those in the stands. This had been a collective effort.

“We don’t need to change the attitudes”, Le Bris made clear, and no one will disagree with him on that.

Football can be cruel. Oh so cruel. With everything that has surrounded Middlesbrough this season, from the appointment and then swift departure of Rob Edwards, to the relatively unknown Kim Hellberg taking the wheel, to missing out on the automatic promotion places, to ‘spygate’ and being reinstated in the Play-Off Final, winning at Wembley to secure their return to the Premier League would have felt right. But it was not to be.

Before Saturday’s Play-Off Final, Boro had never won at the home of football, a record that was devastatingly maintained after 100 minutes of football in the sweltering heat of London. Their only major trophy, the 2003/04 League Cup, was at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, with the new Wembley still under construction.

Watching on in the stands was Steve Gibson, Boro’s owner, who had led their claim to be reinstated in the Play-Offs after Southampton intern analyst, William Salt was spotted spying on the Teessiders’ training session. His passion for his club, along with all of those in red in the stands created a cauldron inside of Wembley. But it was not enough.

Ollie McBurnie’s 95th minute strike came as a result of Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn, trying, but ultimately failing, to push away a cross. The ball instead fell to McBurnie, who could not miss. The net rippling naturally brought about an outpouring of noise from the Hull City end, and yet, from the Boro fans, there was a wave of silence, which was louder still.

Kim Hellberg said that football “is a game of small margins”, and he was right. His side had been the better of the two for the majority of the match, but the game followed a narrative which had shaped Boro’s season - plenty of possession but nothing to show for it.

“We are not good enough creating big chances from our chances and I think we have a lot of those moments where we are driving the game forward but don’t use those chances good enough to create those big chances”, Hellberg said.

Hull meanwhile, were happy to concede the ball, and struck when it mattered. “That is football”, Hellberg made clear, and there is only one statistic that truly matters.

There was a nervous excitement oozing out of Boro supporters on Wembley Way. Inside the stadium, their players had the better of a largely uneventful first half, although it was a slow game given the sweltering heat in the capital. Kim Hellberg’s side sustained good amounts of pressure in the Hull final third, but their delivery was lacking each time.

The best chances in the first period both came right at the end. Hull’s Ollie McBurnie crashed a header off the crossbar, before David Strelec of Boro steered a low shot just wide of the upright minutes later.

The second period did not see the tempo increase, although the tension did. A strange phenomenon grew in which neither side really looked like scoring and yet it felt like the game was on a knife edge. Could anyone take a game that was destined for extra time by the scruff of the neck?

Middlesbrough hoped it would be Hayden Hackney. He had missed both legs of the semi-final against Southampton through injury but he sat on the bench at Wembley waiting to enter the action. The Redcar-born lad entered the pitch with 20 minutes to go, and was met by a roar as if he were a gladiator walking out into the arena.

He showed flashes of why he was named Championship Player of the Season, but given his lack of match fitness he was unable to impact the game in the way he would have wanted.

Therefore, instead of Hackney it was McBurnie, who had been on the pitch from minute one, who determined the outcome. The striker snubbed by Scotland for this summer’s World Cup left his mark at Wembley, and left the red wall of Middlesbrough desolate and downtrodden.

Next season will mark Middlesbrough’s tenth without Premier League football. For all of the battles won in the boardroom of late, they now must win on the pitch. “Small margins”, as Hellberg put it, must now go in their favour.

Middlesbrough Head Coach Kim Hellberg has made clear the significance of Saturday’s Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium for everyone associated with Boro.

In a hurriedly arranged press conference on Thursday afternoon following Boro’s reinstatement into the final, Hellberg said that “everyone knows and everyone feels how big it is and how important it is”.

“I think you could see in the games against Southampton how much it means to everyone, and how tough it was”, he continued, before adding that there will be various players in the dressing room who will contribute to the pre-match talk, not least Hayden Hackney and Dael Fry.

The prize on offer is a return to England’s top flight, where Middlesbrough have not been since 2016/17, when they spent one solitary season competing against the best, before they returned to the second tier.

Ahead of Boro’s Play-Off semi-final first leg, Hellberg said that he had not yet thought about whether he is Premier League ready. Now, after all of the drama that has unfolded regarding ‘spygate’, as he prepares to lead his team out under the famous arch, he said that thoughts of the top flight have still yet to register.

“I haven’t spent many thoughts on that”, he said, “but I think it’s difficult to be Premier League ready.”

He then drew a comparison to his role at home, “it’s like being a father, maybe I felt that would be a big problem, but when you become a father you are ready, and that’s what I think you have to do with the Premier League.”

“You’re going up against the best teams in the world, the best players in the world if you get there, and unbelievable stadiums, and players, and qualities. So, you just have to make sure you’re ready when you get there.”

Getting there, means defeating Hull City, a side Middlesbrough won handsomely against at the MKM Stadium, but then lost narrowly to, at the Riverside. The advantage for Boro, of course, is that they have known that if they were to be reinstated in the Play-Offs, that Hull would be the opposition. The Tigers, meanwhile, have been preparing for two different opponents.

Hellberg did make clear, however, that training for his side has been practically impossible until the last couple of days. To add to that, Boro will be without Tommy Conway, who sustained an ankle injury at St. Mary’s. He will miss both the Play-Off Final and the World Cup with Scotland.

There was encouraging news about Hayden Hackney though. He has trained and should be ready to take his place in the starting eleven at Wembley. Boro will need him. He, of all people, can be the key to their potential success, given his ability and his roots. He, along with Hellberg, and fellow Teessiders Dael Fry and Sol Brynn, will give it everything to win.