Will Forest’s Fourth Manager Of The Season Change Their Fortunes?

It’s been somewhat of a disappointing season for Nottingham Forest so far. After a great campaign last term, with the club battling for Champions League qualification for much of it, Forest now find themselves in a relegation battle and on their fourth manager of the season. But can Vitor Pereira change their fortunes and lead them away from danger?

A Record Fourth Manager Of The Season

Vitor Pereira, who previously managed Wolverhampton Wanderers, was quickly installed as the favourite to replace the axed Sean Dyche in football betting online markets covering next manager odds. The 57-year-old Portuguese has previously worked for Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and seemed the natural choice, especially after saving Wolves from relegation in his first season in charge.

However, it can’t be ignored that Pereira is Forests’ record fourth manager of the season, following the sackings of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and, most recently, Dyche. It also shouldn’t be ignored that Dyche has been seen as a firefighter, proving his capabilities at Everton, and he’s been unable to get the results required.

What Pereira Brings To The Table

Pereira, first of all, brings recent experience of guiding a struggling Premier League club to safety. He went in at Wolves when they were in the relegation zone in the 2024/25 season, and pulled them well clear of danger. Forest are 17^th and only just managing to keep their heads above water, so Pereira’s experience of the current circumstances will be vital.

What will also be key is Pereira’s personality. Nuno, who also previously managed Wolves, built a great connection with the Forest players and fan base, something that Postecoglou and Dyche failed to do. Pereira built a similar connection at Wolves, with his “points then pints” approach going down well with supporters, who he was pictured enjoying drinks with after victories. By getting the fans on side, and therefore right behind the players, there’s more chance of Pereira succeeding.

The Outlook

Forest’s Premier League run-in includes matches against Liverpool (H), Manchester City (A), Aston Villa (H), Chelsea (A) and Manchester United (A). While other games are more favourable, only 12 fixtures remain of the current campaign with 36 points to play for. So, you’d imagine Pereira’s approach will initially be to make Forest difficult to beat.

Another potential hindrance could be Forest’s continued involvement in the Europa League. They’re playing Fenerbahce across two legs in the play-offs, and if they triumph, it will mean more travelling on Thursdays before returning to compete in the Premier League at the weekend. This could potentially limit Pereira when it comes to squad selection and consistency in lineups for the time being.

Final Thoughts

While some will argue that sacking a third manager of the season and hiring a fourth, especially when the man just sacked has led a team to safety previously, is very risky. However, under Dyche, there had been losing runs, disappointing results and unacceptable performances. There also appeared to be a lack of connection with a worried fan base.

There’s a lot of upside that comes with appointing Pereira, such as the overall rescue job he did at Molineux and how he built that rapport with supporters. So, you could describe the Portuguese manager as the right man for the job, but it will remain a difficult task, and there are no guarantees.