Nottingham Forest hire FOURTH manager of season in bid to beat Premier League relegation

Vitor Pereira Wolves

Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of their fourth permanent manager in the 2025-26 campaign. Premier League history has been made there, with Vitor Pereira taking over at the City Ground. He follows in the immediate footsteps of Sean Dyche, with Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou having previously been relieved of their duties on Trentside.

Sean Dyche Nottingham Forest 2025-26

Pereira becomes Forest's fourth manager of the 2025-26 campaign

Dyche, who took in 25 games across 114 days at the helm, was ushered through the exits on February 12 in the immediate aftermath of a 0-0 draw with rock-bottom Wolves that saw more jeers rain down from the stands.

Forest, in what has been a turbulent campaign, find themselves locked in another relegation battle. Pereira was able to steer Wolves away from danger when being handed the reins at Molineux in December 2024, and the Portuguese is now being charged with the task of replicating that escape act.

Pereira signs 18-month contract at the City Ground

Forest have revealed that Pereira, who has prior experience of working alongside enigmatic Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis at Greek giants Olympiacos, has signed an 18-month contract through to the summer of 2027.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Pereira began his managerial career in his homeland, Portugal, in 2002. After gaining extensive experience across the country, he took over Porto in 2011, where a hugely successful two-year spell saw him lead the club to back-to-back league titles. Having spent time at Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia, Periera then moved to Olympiacos in January 2015 and went on to win the double with the Piraeus side. 

“Adding to his wealth of experience at the top level around the world, Pereira has also managed Fenerbahçe in Turkey and Chinese Super League Club Shanghai SIPG, guiding the latter to their first ever league title in his debut campaign, before then winning the Chinese Super Cup. He has also had spells in charge of Brazilian clubs Corinthians and Flamengo.

“Most recently, he was Head Coach of Premier League club Wolves. Taking over with club in the relegation zone, Pereira led them to a six-game winning run which helped guide them to safety during the 2024-25 season. It was the longest winning run of any team in the top-flight last season, in a campaign which also saw Wolves score a club record number of goals in the Premier League.”

The Reds added on their new boss: “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).”

Vitor Pereira Wolves

Risky business: Have Forest made the right decision?

Questions have been asked of whether Forest’s revolving door policy in the managerial department will ultimately cost them top-flight status, with ex-England international Peter Crouch telling TNT Sports that the “trigger-happy” Reds are a club in “turmoil” and appear to be pressing the “self-destruct” button.

Another ex-England star, Gary Lineker, has told The Rest Is Football podcast - with players supposedly meeting with Marinakis before the axe fell on Dyche: “Obviously Nuno plays in a counter-attacking way, Ange plays very much on the front foot; then he goes back to a style with Sean Dyche - the players will be going 'What? Who's coming next?!' Vitor Pereira played quite a high press at times for Wolves, so I mean, are they going to change again? 

“And then you're going to blame the players - I think if the players had the balls in a committee meeting and said to him 'hang on a minute mate, you need to decide what f*cking style of football you actually want us to play' rather than changing it and flip-flopping 14 times - I dunno, I exaggerate.”

Baptism of fire: Forest's upcoming fixtures

Forest supporters had, however, grown tired of Dyche’s bland brand of football, while senior stars are said to have aired concerns regarding gruelling training sessions that left them entering games feeling tired.

Pereira is being asked to steady the ship and get everybody pulling in the same direction. He will be handed a baptism of fire as his opening five games at the helm include a two-legged Europa League knockout phase play-off clash with Fenerbahce and Premier League fixtures against Liverpool, Brighton and Manchester City.