It meant he remained in a routine. And it gave the experienced coach the freedom and opportunity to take stock, to reflect and to plan for the future.
Viveash has always been a thinker and a learner. Throughout his coaching career, he’s been adding to his own book he’s been writing for years. He doesn’t plan to ever publish it but regularly goes back, reads and reflects on his past experiences and learnings.
But last summer he found himself in an unfamiliar position, out of work after his surprise Coventry City exit.
It came after a falling-out with Mark Robins, who, after the departure of his long-term No.2, lost his job just three months into the season.
Viveash has never had any desire to manage but knew last summer after leaving Coventry he was nowhere near ready to call it a day as a coach.
And as Rob Edwards planned for the return to the dugout that he hoped would come, the former Luton boss noted Viveash’s potential availability. Several of the staff who were previously part of Edwards’ coaching teams are now in work elsewhere, but on the back of his Kenilworth Road dismissal and the soul-searching that followed, Edwards also felt it was time to freshen up his support staff. Viveash, in the words of Edwards, is “high level”.
Edwards didn’t and doesn’t want yes men, he wants to be challenged. And Viveash will do exactly that.
“Creating a challenging environment is one of my big strengths; how you get the culture, how you set up the training and how you demand in each session,” said Boro’s assistant boss in a previous interview with the Coventry Telegraph.
“Yes, I have no bones about saying that’s me at my best.”
It was shortly after Edwards’ Luton dismissal that Harry Watling first got in touch. The pair got to know each other, went to games, and put on a coaching session. When Edwards sat down with Boro chiefs for the first time, he made it known he had his potential backroom team ready to go.
Edwards was struck by Watling’s personality as much as his “outstanding” coaching ability. The 35-year-old is full of energy, enthusiasm and positivity – “I don’t need an espresso on a morning,” he joked this week at the Meet The Staff event at the Riverside.
“You want to fill in the blanks around you and Harry gives me loads of qualities that are different to me but we’re quite aligned in our thinking,” said Edwards last week.
“Adi is a high level coach. Amazing experience. The two of them complement each other and me and the football club really well. We’re all in this together.”
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The trio have been eating together on an evening. At the end of last week, after recommendations from fellow club staff, they tried a parmo for the first time. The feedback from all three was positive, to the delight of the fans who turned out at the Meet The Staff event.
When Edwards was in charge of Luton, he travelled to and from training from his home in Birmingham, because he didn’t want to uproot the school and social lives of his two children.
He never found the commuting a problem until the final stages of his tenure at Kenilworth Road when he became bogged down and was in need of a break. He admits he stopped taking care of himself.
“I know to be my best I have to manage my energy and look after myself,” he says.
Edwards, Viveash and Watling have all moved up to Teesside.
When Edwards first met and addressed his Middlesbrough players, his message was clear. He wants them to play with freedom and bravery, not to be fearful of mistakes, but, crucially, respond to them.
Training in the first full week has resembled how Edwards wants his side to play.
“If we want to play with a tempo and intensity, the sessions will be that way as well,” he said.
There’s clear intensity and pace in the five-minute behind the scenes training video Boro published on their channels this week.
Viveash and Watling, who took in sessions from managers including Jurgen Klopp, Roberto de Zerbi and Erik ten Haag during the spell between his Rangers exit and Boro appointment, both enjoy the freedom of being creative with their planning for training sessions.
“I have never done a training session that anyone else has done, never copied one in my life,” said Viveash during his time at Coventry.
“I have seen incredible coaches, Mourinho when I was at Chelsea and I was lucky to observe him at his best, I think.
“His attention to detail, commanding respect and real top sessions. His sessions went to Real Madrid and he blamed Paul Clement who went to work with Carlo Ancelotti, who worked at Chelsea.
“It was quite funny because he asked me once if I had copied any of his sessions and I said, ‘no,’ and he said, ‘oh, not good enough for you…’ So that’s how he is.
“I said I never copy sessions. He asked me which ones I like, so I had to tell him but he gave me respect because I didn’t copy him.”
Edwards prizes unity and the power of belief.
He never really considered a future in coaching until 2010, when he was part of Ian Holloway’s Blackpool squad that won promotion against the odds.
“He was brilliant on the grass but also how he inspired us, how he brought us together, how he made us believe,” said Edwards of Holloway.
“And by the way, we all believed. I remember being stood at Wembley with that promotion trophy thinking ‘I fancy a bit of this’.”
There’s a warmth to Edwards. On the first day back at Rockliffe, there was an embrace from the head coach for Sammy Silvera, who has returned to Boro after his difficult year of failed loan moves.
As much as Edwards craves fast, exciting football at Boro, there’s an awareness of the need for steel.
At the Meet The Staff event this week, Watling told of the importance of “winning ugly” and “respecting the point” in the Championship.
When discussing in-game changes and tweaks, Viveash told of how it’s important to “feel the game” from the technical area.
Watling and Viveash already knew each other from their time at Chelsea before they joined up at Boro.
Edwards, Watling and Viveash all come from a youth development background and there’ll be a desire to give academy players an opportunity this season, if they’re deemed ready.
Several have trained this week and caught the eye. Law McCabe, as an example, will be hoping for chances this season after not playing a single Championship minute last term.
Edwards last week said it “makes complete sense to be working with younger players”, but the head coach also values experience and leadership. At the Meet The Staff event, he namechecked Darragh Lenihan and said it was great to have the former Blackburn captain in full training after his injury struggles over the course of the last 18 months.
Boro’s squad will today head out for Portugal where they’ll step up their preparations for the coming season, before playing their first friendly – a behind closed doors game – next Saturday.
Four weeks later, Swansea are at the Riverside. Edwards is excited and relishing the challenge and campaign ahead.
