As his arrival approaches, Kim Hellberg is said to have already decided to revamp Middlesbrough’s backroom personnel and give interim manager Adi Viveash a new job.
The Swedish manager has already sparked controversy in the Championship after rejecting Swansea City in favour of Boro in a late twist, and he is now due to arrive on Teesside with the task of continuing where Rob Edwards left off.
Boro, who reportedly paid £250,000 to obtain Hellberg’s services, will be hoping to see him get off to a good start, but to say he hasn’t had an easy start is an understatement.
With Viveash poised to continue in charge against Oxford United on Saturday, Hellberg’s first game in command is likely to be against Championship leaders Coventry City. If nothing happens between now and the game, Middlesbrough will be able to get within a point of the league leaders with a win in their manager’s debut.
It will be intriguing to observe how the 37-year-old prepares his team for that match. His preferred configuration is a 4-2-3-1, which Boro used frequently under Edwards and will now try to employ to their advantage under the new boss. This should help to alleviate any adjustment period for everyone involved.
However, the Swede is not wasting time before adopting other modifications. According to reports, he has already initiated an emergency staff makeover, which includes interim head Viveash.
Hellberg takes immediate Viveash decision at Middlesbrough.
According to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Hellberg has already hired David Selini as his deputy manager and decided to keep Viveash on as a technical coach as part of a staff makeover. The young coach has already begun to make changes in an effort to hit the ground running in Riverside.
Viveash has more than earned his new post. The Boro coach stood up for the club when Edwards left, leading them to a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City, and his presence will undoubtedly assist to ease Hellberg into the role.
Meanwhile, Selini is an interesting appointment. The Hammarby assistant has just been working with Hellberg for over a year, yet he is ready to join him in the Championship at the age of 31.
Boro have put their trust in Hellberg and his assistant, Selini, and must now hope that their bet pays off with promotion.
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