Nottingham Forest are close to appointing former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira after sacking Sean Dyche, with crucial league and Europa League games ahead.
Nottingham Forest are closing in on the appointment of Vitor Pereira as their new head coach. Talks with the Portuguese coach have progressed rapidly since the dismissal of Sean Dyche. Forest acted shortly after a goalless draw with bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers. That result left them three points above the relegation zone. With 12 matches remaining, the club moved quickly to steady the season.
Dyche’s exit came after just 114 days in charge. He became the third Forest manager to be sacked this campaign. The decision followed mounting frustration over attacking output. Forest have scored 25 league goals in 26 matches. Despite heavy investment, progress remained limited. The board felt a change was unavoidable.
Pereira quickly became the leading candidate once Dyche departed. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis knows the coach well from their time at Olympiacos. Pereira led the club to a league and cup double in 2015. That previous relationship has played a key role. Sources suggest an agreement is now close.
The 57-year-old also brings recent Premier League experience. He joined Wolves midway through last season and guided them to safety. Wolves stayed up with games to spare. However, Pereira was dismissed in November after a poor start to the current campaign. Wolves had taken only two points from 10 matches at that stage.
Forest’s campaign has been marked by instability. Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked after just three league games. Ange Postecoglou followed but lasted only 39 days. Dyche was appointed to bring structure and survival. That plan failed to deliver consistency.
Despite recent upheaval, Forest have lost only one of their last five league games. They also held leaders Arsenal to a 0-0 draw. Still, three points from a possible nine against Palace, Leeds and Wolves proved costly. Those missed chances ultimately sealed Dyche’s fate.
The draw with Wolves summed up Forest’s problems. They created chances but failed to convert them. Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson all featured. Yet the cutting edge was missing again. That attacking bluntness has been a season long issue.
Forest spent heavily in the summer and reinforced again in January. Much of that spend targeted forward areas. Results have not matched the investment. Pereira’s first task will be unlocking that potential. Survival remains the clear priority.
Forest face a demanding run once Pereira arrives. They travel to Fenerbahce in the Europa League knockout play-off first leg next Thursday. A home league clash with Liverpool follows three days later. The return leg against Fenerbahce comes on February 26. League trips to Brighton and Manchester City also loom. Forest hope Pereira can deliver an immediate lift.
