Nottingham Forest has taken significant steps to stabilize their season by appointing Vitor Pereira as their fourth manager this year after parting ways with Sean Dyche. The Portuguese coach has signed an 18-month contract and is determined to guide the club away from the looming threat of relegation in the Premier League.
Pereira, formerly at Wolves, now steps in to lead Forest, who are teetering in 17th place on the table—just three points above a resurgent West Ham side. The urgency to secure points cannot be overstated for a team in such a delicate position.
Pereira’s last stint ended at Molineux in November after a tough start, where his Wolves team managed only two points from their first ten Premier League matches. He has experience working with Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, during their successful campaign at Olympiacos, where Pereira led them to both league and cup triumphs in the 2014/15 season.
His appointment marks yet another managerial shift for Forest, following Sean Dyche, Ange Postecoglou, and Nuno Espirito Santo. Nuno was ousted less than four months after leading Forest to its first European qualification in three decades, due to a rapidly deteriorating relationship with the club hierarchy. Postecoglou had a brief and troubled tenure, managing just eight games before being dismissed without a win, leading to Dyche’s arrival as a stabilizing force.
While Dyche initially helped lift Forest out of the relegation zone and earned a nomination for January’s manager of the month award, his efforts proved insufficient as they struggled with performances. Following a disappointing 0-0 draw against bottom-placed Wolves, Dyche parted ways with the club amid discontent from supporters.
Pereira’s hire signals a short-term strategy for Forest, especially given that he has left seven of his last nine managerial roles within a year. However, he brings a track record of avoiding relegation, highlighted by his success with Wolves in the 2024/25 season. When he replaced Gary O’Neil then, Wolves were languishing in 19th place with only nine points from 16 games, yet Pereira managed to turn the tide, securing a 16th place finish and a comfortable 17 points clear of the relegation zone.
Pereira’s debut in charge will be a familiar one, as he leads Forest to Fenerbahce in the Europa League knockout play-off on February 19, a team he knows well from his two spells with the Turkish side between 2015 and 2021.
A vital league clash against Liverpool follows on February 22, where Forest will aim to replicate their stunning 3-0 victory at Anfield that served as a highlight of Dyche’s tenure.
Joining Pereira will be his coaching staff: Filipe Jorge Monteiro Almeida, Luis Miguel Moreira Da Silva, Bruno Filipe Araujo De Moura, and Pedro Simao Capela Silva Lopes, who will play key roles as they target a successful turnaround.
