Oxford United v Middlesbrough: Humbled Adi Viveash on unsung heroes
HUMBLING is a word that Adi Viveash has used repeatedly over a past fortnight which no-one of a Middlesbrough persuasion could have envisaged at the start of November.
The interim head coach has used it to describe his appreciation of the strong backing he has received from supporters in the wake of Rob Edwards' shock departure to Wolves, with the former Coventry City number two having held the fort since in testing circumstances.
The 56-year-old has been thrust into a leadership role at short notice and while many have drawn upon his experience, he is quick to express his gratitude to his players and everyone around the club.
Viveash, who stepped out for his hometown Swindon and their bitter rivals Oxford in his playing days, said: "You have got a group of players who are in a really good place and their camaraderie and togetherness is probably as good as I've seen in a dressing room and away from a club. And then you are trying to navigate muddy waters when some things can derail that.
"It's quite challenging and every player is different. We have got a lot of foreign players as well that probably don't understand as much and that's the intriguing bit when you speak to players one to one and you work out that this group are quite articulate.
"Some just brush it off and want to get out there and others are a little bit different and need to try and process and work through it and that has been quite challenging.
"But what you have got is an incredible group of staff, real top staff in all their fields and they each play their role. I've found that really interesting and quite humbling."