Don Goodman, a Sky Sports pundit, has praised coach Adi Viveash as Middlesbrough prepares for the highly anticipated arrival of Kim Hellberg.
The Riverside Stadium has undergone significant transformation since players left for the third international break of the new season. Middlesbrough were devastated by Rob Edwards’ transfer to Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they moved quickly during the break, outbidding Norwich City to get Kim Hellberg from Swedish club Hammarby IF.
Boro return to Championship action this weekend at Oxford United, but due to a delay in finalising Hellberg’s employment, he will not be in the dugout at The Kassam Stadium on Saturday. However, the team will be in capable hands in the form of assistant Adi Viveash, who will remain with the club following Hellberg’s arrival.
Viveash took command of the squad for their final encounter before the break, guiding them to a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City despite a combustible mood inside The Riverside Stadium caused by Edwards’ abrupt and unexpected resignation after only five months on Teesside.
Don Goodman praised Adi Viveash for his roles at Middlesbrough and Coventry.
Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman, speaking exclusively to Football League World, praised Adi Viveash: “I think I read an article where Middlesbrough are pretty much saying that whoever comes in to be the head coach/manager they would like Adi Viveash to stay at the football club. And that is a testament to how influential a coach he is and has been.”
Goodman also praised Viveash for his contribution to Coventry City’s recent revival: “I felt the same when he was at Coventry with Mark Robins, that he had a very hands-on role there, and I think most people realised that and shared the credit, albeit Mark Robins, rightly, would get the majority of the credit for how well they did together at Coventry City.”
Adi Viveash’s coaching career dates back nearly two decades. After finishing his playing career with a variety of EFL clubs, most notably Walsall, for whom he made over 150 appearances, he began coaching in the non-league game at Cirencester City before going on to Chelsea, where he worked with the under-18 and under-21 sides.
However, it wasn’t until his next role that his reputation really took off. He joined Coventry City as Mark Robins’ assistant in 2017 and lasted there for seven years, achieving two promotions in three seasons. It would be a year before he was chosen as Rob Edwards’ assistant at Middlesbrough.
It is not uncommon for a club’s whole backroom staff to depart with a manager, but Viveash remained at The Riverside Stadium and declared himself as ‘fortunate’ to be working under Steve Gibson at Boro after their 2-1 victory over Birmingham in his first game in charge as temporary manager.
Middlesbrough would undoubtedly benefit from Viveash’s continued presence. Not only is he an incredibly experienced coach in his own right, but having him on hand to provide continuity following Kim Hellberg’s arrival at the club will provide some stability at the conclusion of what has been a difficult few weeks for the Teesside club.
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