Boro boss Hellberg ready for Championship 'marathon'

Boss Kim Hellberg thinks Middlesbrough have made an "impressive" start to the "marathon" Championship season, but says his side cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal.

Boro are second in the table, two points off the top, after just one defeat in their opening 10 games.

Seven of those fixtures have come against sides in the top 11 while in the other two they won at home to Lincoln, who have taken nine points from their other four away games and drew at newly-relegated Burnley, who have lost just once in five games at Turf Moor.

Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees he was pleased with how things were going, but added: "It's 46 games, with 36 left - it's a marathon. It's all about picking up points in the beginning of the season to take yourself to a position where you can look at the table in January and see where you are at.

"Of course you follow everything and see we have started very good, we have played a lot of teams who have actually had a very good start themselves, which is impressive.

"With everything that was around, how the last season ended (losing in the Championship play-off final), so many players coming in late, injuries, there was a lot of possible excuses for not starting the season as well as we have done, but the players have been absolutely excellent."

Back-to-back wins at home to Wolves and at Stoke have Boro riding a wave of optimism but Hellberg said players, staff and even fans need to maintain their focus.

"It's easy to drop some percentage," he said. "It's important for everyone to not do that. Enjoy it, but bring your A-game."

Cardiff visit the Riverside on Saturday (12:30 BST) with the Bluebirds unbeaten in five home games but having taken just a point from their five on the road.

"They have been very good, a tough opponent," Hellberg said. "They deserve more points than they have got. They are very brave in their attacking mindset, it's a massive challenge and I think it will be a very good football game."