Nottingham Forest Hire FOURTH Manager of Season in Bid to Beat Premier League Relegation

Pereira Becomes Forest’s Fourth Manager of the 2025-26 Campaign as Turmoil Deepens at the City Ground

There are turbulent seasons, and then there is whatever is unfolding at Nottingham Forest right now.

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Premier League, Forest have confirmed the appointment of their FOURTH permanent manager of the 2025-26 season. Yes, fourth — and we are only just moving beyond the midpoint of the campaign. History has been made at the City Ground, though not the kind supporters would have hoped for back in August.

Vitor Pereira is the man now tasked with firefighting duties on Trentside. He replaces Sean Dyche, who himself followed brief and turbulent spells under Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.

Four managers. One season. One desperate scrap to avoid relegation.

Dyche lasted 25 games — 114 days in total — before being shown the door on February 12, just hours after a drab 0-0 draw with rock-bottom Wolves. Boos rained down from the stands that afternoon. The mood had turned. The football was functional at best, suffocating at worst, and patience had evaporated.

But the bigger question remains: is another managerial change the solution — or simply another chapter in the chaos?

Pereira Signs 18-Month Contract at the City Ground

Sean Dyche Nottingham Forest 2025-26

Forest’s hierarchy have placed their faith in Pereira’s survival credentials. The Portuguese coach has signed an 18-month deal running through to the summer of 2027, a contract that suggests at least the intention of stability — even if recent history tells a different story.

Pereira is no stranger to high-pressure environments. He arrives with a CV that stretches across continents and carries tangible success. He began his managerial career in Portugal in 2002 before stepping into the spotlight at FC Porto in 2011. There, he delivered back-to-back Primeira Liga titles in a composed and authoritative two-year spell that enhanced his reputation significantly.

His journey since has been global. A stint at Al Ahli Saudi FC broadened his experience before he linked up with Greek giants Olympiacos in January 2015. That partnership is particularly noteworthy given Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis also presides over Olympiacos. Pereira guided the Piraeus club to a domestic double, reinforcing his credentials as a winner.

He has since managed Fenerbahce in Turkey and Shanghai SIPG — now known as Shanghai Port — leading the latter to their first-ever league title in his debut campaign and lifting the Chinese Super Cup. Spells in Brazil with Corinthians and Flamengo further expanded his portfolio.

Most relevant to Forest supporters, however, is his recent work at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Taking over with Wolves marooned in the relegation zone in December 2024, Pereira orchestrated a stunning six-game winning run — the longest of any Premier League side last season — to guide them to safety. Wolves also registered a club-record Premier League goal tally during that campaign.

It is that escape act Forest are gambling on now.

He will not be alone. Pereira arrives with trusted lieutenants: assistant coaches Filipe Jorge Monteiro Almeida and Luis Miguel Moreira Da Silva, alongside Bruno Filipe Araujo De Moura as Head of Physical Performance and Opposition Analysis, and Pedro Simao Capela Silva Lopes as Opposition Analyst. It is a full reset — again.

Risky Business: Have Forest Made the Right Decision?

Forest’s revolving door policy has drawn sharp criticism across the footballing landscape.

Former England striker Peter Crouch described the club as “trigger-happy” and a side in “turmoil,” warning that such instability can easily snowball into self-destruction. His assessment was blunt but not without foundation. Tactical identity has shifted dramatically with each appointment.

Under Nuno, Forest leaned toward counter-attacking structure. Postecoglou attempted a more expansive, front-foot philosophy. Dyche reverted to pragmatism — compact lines, direct deliveries, territory over possession. Now Pereira arrives with a reputation for structured pressing and tactical flexibility.

On The Rest Is Football podcast, former England captain Gary Lineker highlighted the confusion such constant change can breed inside a dressing room. He pointed out how players must continuously adapt to contrasting ideologies, often mid-season, while fighting for survival.

And that is the crux of the issue. Relegation battles demand clarity. They demand collective belief in a defined plan. When the blueprint keeps changing, doubt can creep in.

Yet there is another side to this argument. Forest’s ownership has shown a willingness to act decisively rather than drift toward inevitable decline. The fear of paralysis — of sticking with a failing formula — has perhaps driven this proactive, if chaotic, approach.

Supporters, meanwhile, are torn. Many had grown weary of Dyche’s attritional style. Performances lacked spark. Training sessions were reportedly intense to the point of fatigue, with senior figures voicing concerns about players entering matchdays drained rather than energised.

Pereira’s challenge is not merely tactical. It is psychological. He must unify a squad that has endured months of uncertainty. He must simplify instructions. Above all, he must win — and quickly.

Vitor Pereira Wolves

Baptism of Fire: Forest’s Upcoming Fixtures

If Pereira thought he was stepping into a gentle introduction, the fixture list says otherwise.

His tenure begins with a daunting two-legged Europa League knockout phase play-off against Fenerbahce — one of his former clubs. There is narrative symmetry there, but also immense pressure. European nights can lift morale, yet they also drain energy at a time when league survival is paramount.

Domestically, the schedule offers little mercy. Premier League clashes with Liverpool FC, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City loom large.

These are not gentle stepping stones. They are examinations.

The reality is stark: Forest are once again entrenched in a relegation scrap. Points are precious. Momentum is fragile. Confidence, perhaps, even more so.

A Club at a Crossroads

There is something undeniably dramatic about what is unfolding at the City Ground. Four managers in one season is unprecedented in the Premier League era. It speaks to ambition, impatience and anxiety in equal measure.

For Pereira, this represents both risk and opportunity. If he succeeds — if he steadies the ship and preserves Forest’s top-flight status — he will be hailed as the architect of one of the great survival stories. His stock in England will soar. If he fails, the revolving door will continue spinning, and Forest may find themselves paying the ultimate price.

Football history is littered with examples of both approaches: clubs saved by bold mid-season changes and others undone by instability. Which category Forest will fall into remains to be seen.

For now, the only certainty is this: the margin for error is thin. The noise is loud. The spotlight is unforgiving.

And in the midst of it all stands Vitor Pereira — Forest’s FOURTH manager of the season — tasked with proving that this latest gamble was not desperation, but destiny.