Vitor Pereira becomes Nottingham Forest fourth boss this season and immediately faces former side

Vitor Pereira has been appointed as Nottingham Forest’s new head coach on an 18-month deal.

Pereira succeeds Sean Dyche at the City Ground helm after the 54-year-old was relieved of his duties in the early hours of Thursday morning.

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The Portuguese boss becomes the club’s fourth manager of the season after Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and Dyche.

He will be joined by coaching staff Filipe Jorge Monteiro Almeida (assistant coach), Luis Miguel Moreira Da Silva (assistant coach), Bruno Filipe Araujo De Moura (head of physical performance and opposition analysis), and Pedro Simao Capela Silva Lopes (opposition
analyst).

Pereira takes over as Tricky Trees head coach with the club just three points above the relegation zone following Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with his former side Wolves.

The midweek stalemate, in which Forest mustered 35 shots, means they have claimed a result in five of their last six league matches, though have now won just two of their last ten top-flight outings.

The dip in form saw Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis ultimately pull the trigger on Dyche, and now, Pereira will be taking his place in the City Ground dugout.

Pereira’s first game as Forest boss will come against former side Fenerbahce in the Europa League playoffs next week.

Wolves bit back under Pereira

Forest will hope Pereira can repeat his Wolves achievement from the 2024/25 season.

The 57-year-old took over the Molineux reins in December 2024 with Wolves mired in the relegation zone, five points off safety.

He managed to guide the Wolves to safety as they ended the campaign well clear of the bottom three.

However, Wolves started the current season poorly and Pereira was relieved of his duties in November.

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That departure came following eight defeats and two draws in the opening ten matches.

The poor start will likely culminate in relegation for Pereira’s former side, who are now 18 points off safety with 12 games to go.

Earn-sure about Pereira?

The appointment has gone down well with former Forest striker Robbie Earnshaw, who spoke highly of Pereira on Hawksbee & Baker.

“Vitor Pereira, if you look at where he’s been and how he’s handled himself, and how he’s done over the last year or so, I think he’s been brilliant,” Earnshaw said exclusively on talkSPORT.

“I remember him coming in at Wolves, and they looked a different side. They looked much better. They looked competent in the Premier League.

“He looks like somebody who would fit Nottingham Forest better than Wolves, that’s how I see him.

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“His body language is Nuno Espirito Santo-esque. He’s calm, he’s composed, he’s very chilled, very quiet, but he’s driven, so I think he’ll be perfect for it.

“Whoever comes in, the number one urgent thing is you must stay in the Premier League, and you must lift that football club, because it deserves it.

“You’ve got to deliver. You’ve got to deliver in your results and your points.”