KIM Hellberg is already seeing an improvement from Ashley Phillips as the new Middlesbrough recruit adapts to the head coach's style of play.
After a couple of appearances from the bench following his move from Tottenham, Phillips made his first start for Boro at QPR and helped Hellberg's side keep their first clean sheet of the season in the 1-0 success at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Phillips was identified as Boro's top defensive target this summer as they set about replacing Dael Fry following the Teessider's exit.
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Having joined Boro with the season already underway, however, Hellberg was aware Phillips would have to learn on the job. Defensively, Hellberg always knew Phillips would slot straight in, but felt adjusting to the head coach's requirements on the ball would take a bit more time.
The early signs, however, have been particularly encouraging for the Boro boss.
"The most impressive thing with him I think was his first 45 minutes with the ball - very, very good," said Hellberg in assessing Phillips' performance in west London at the weekend.
"It was a different Ash that I have seen from when I have scouted him. I know you can see the technique, but his work and his efforts to adapt, he's a very clever boy, which means you can see how good he was on the ball.
"It’s always a worry with a player that’s maybe played more direct in the past. Then you can see in the second half how he tired a little bit and then you fall back and open up your body a bit more, so we get a little bit more stuck on the right side, which forced us also to go a little bit longer and we did get a little bit stuck. That's for him to keep improving.
"But the first 45 minutes with the ball, and off the ball, was brilliant. He kept being very, very good off the ball through the whole game.
"That is a boy that's going to be very good. He needs some time to develop more physicality, and working with the things we need him to do. But I love working with him."
Hellberg will continue to manage Phillips closely as the former Blackburn youngster builds his fitness. With that in mind, after playing 70-odd minutes on Saturday, he's likely to be given a breather for Tuesday night's Carabao Cup third round tie at Crystal Palace.
"We pushed Ash knowing that he cannot play 90 minutes, but we still need to try to start somewhere," said Hellberg, explaining his decision to start the centre-half at Loftus Road.
"It's a difficult time to train because we cannot train in terms of the amount you want.
"You have to balance and do things differently because there are so many games. I think it was time for Ash to play; we have prepared him through the Doncaster and Burnley games and now he is ready to play a little bit more."
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