Adi Viveash and Kim Hellberg met for the first time on Monday.
Adi Viveash was quite impressed with his first impressions of new Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg, as he recalled their first meeting on Saturday.
Viveash will remain at Boro as a member of Hellberg’s coaching staff, following his appointment as head coach on Monday. The temporary manager will manage one more game on Tuesday evening against his previous club Coventry City before handing over the reins to the 37-year-old Swede on Wednesday morning.
Hellberg arrived at Rockliffe on Monday to be announced as the new manager, where he met the Boro players for the first time, as well as Viveash. In his first interview, the former Hammarby manager underlined how valuable he believes Viveash will be to him given his Championship expertise. Viveash was careful not to bombard them with facts during their initial conversation.
He revealed: “I spent about an hour with him and his assistant, David [Selini], this morning, just talking about life and the club. He has been really respectful. I would describe him as articulate based on initial impressions; he carries himself extremely well.
“We talked about a lot of stuff. We spoke about Mr. Gyokeres. I assumed we would, and it was extremely interesting. We discussed what he had witnessed. He was really nice about the past few weeks, which meant a lot. On Saturday, I received a text message from him on the way back, which meant a lot.
“I’m not going to reveal what was in it, but it meant a lot. He was watching the game, and as a head coach, he obviously respects what has happened over the last few weeks. Today has only been about him having initial conversations.
Regarding not imposing too much on the new boss’s first day, Viveash continued: “It was an exciting hour, but I didn’t give him any major messages. I’m sure he’ll ask me some questions as we move on. I’ve been an assistant manager with Mark at Coventry for a long time, so I’m familiar with the role.
“It’s not the first time I’ve worked with a foreign coach, especially in development football, so that will benefit me. I believe you should try to answer any questions he may have before he asks them. I believe that is the responsibility of assistant coaches. You try to imagine what kind of thoughts Kim will have at this early stage.
“There will be a million things, so just try to help where you can and maybe guide a little bit where he needs it. However, it is also important not to impose too much on him; instead, allow him to ask questions. He’s extremely engaging.
“How the role works and what happens between the two of us is something for another day. I can’t really answer that since I’m not sure. I haven’t been on a training pitch with Kim or David, so I’m not sure how it will look or feel. If possible, you can create that relationship rapidly, and I’ve always been able to do it easily.
“I hope that’s true for Kim and David. From Wednesday morning, it will be Kim’s ship to sail, and I will do everything I can to help him succeed. When we reach to that point, I’ll probably tell him, “There’s one sugar in my tea.”
Viveash is likely to be an important member of Hellberg’s backroom team, as the new head coach and his assistant, David Selini, prepare for their first taste of English football. That’s not to say he hasn’t watched a lot of the Championship in preparation for the move, but being in the storm is a very different experience.
Viveash acknowledges this and understands many of the questions posed by the conscientious young coach on his first day.
He went on to say, “The main players have played a lot of minutes in the games he’s seen, so I think when you come into a club, you have quite a few questions about players who haven’t played as many minutes or some of the injuries.”
“He’ll be trying to maneuver his squad, and there are a few of players that may return in January, so stuff like that. He mentioned it briefly, but also schedules and structures, as well as the mundane aspects of league travel and away games.
“We have Hull to Charlton coming up, and playing Friday to Tuesday is a big change from what he’s probably used to.” I believe this is pretty intriguing for him. These are the general chats. I believe he is currently acquiring a large amount of information in a very positive manner.
“He’ll have several meetings with staff from various sectors of the club on Wednesday, and I believe he’ll gather all of his information and proceed from there. I think that will be extremely intriguing.”
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