adminNottingham Forest are considering Vitor Pereira as a leading contender to replace Sean Dyche, with the club preparing to appoint their fourth manager of an extraordinary season.
Dyche was dismissed following Wednesday’s goalless draw against bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers. It marked the third managerial departure at the City Ground this campaign, after Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou were also relieved of their duties. Forest have managed just three wins from their last 13 matches in all competitions and currently sit 17th in the Premier League, only three points clear of the relegation zone.
Pereira has been without a club since Wolves sacked him in November after a winless start to the Premier League season. However, he previously earned praise for steering Wolves away from relegation danger after taking charge in December 2024, overseeing a marked upturn in form.
The 57-year-old also has a prior connection with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, having guided Olympiacos — another club owned by Marinakis — to a domestic league and cup double during a brief but successful spell in the 2014–15 season.
Forest confirmed Dyche’s departure in a statement on Thursday morning, thanking him and his staff for their efforts and wishing them well for the future.
After the draw with Wolves, Dyche acknowledged that his fate rested in the hands of the club’s hierarchy.
“Calls for change are part of football, but ultimately it’s the owner’s decision,” he said. “I work extremely hard and care deeply about this club. The staff give everything. That’s the reality of modern football — if the owner wants to make a change, that’s his call.”
Dyche, 54, was appointed in October after Postecoglou’s brief eight-game spell ended without a win. Postecoglou had himself replaced Nuno in early September, less than a month into the season.
Nuno had guided Forest to a seventh-place finish in 2024–25 and secured European qualification, but tensions reportedly emerged between him and Marinakis, as well as with global head of football Edu.
Following Postecoglou’s struggles, Forest explored moves for Roberto Mancini and considered Fulham’s Marco Silva before turning to Dyche, a former Forest academy player. It was his first job since leaving Everton in January 2025.
Dyche began his tenure with a 2-0 Europa League victory over Porto and led Forest to a 12th-place finish in the competition’s league phase, setting up a play-off tie with Fenerbahce. Domestically, though, results faltered. He won six of his 18 Premier League matches, and Forest were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Championship side Wrexham on penalties.
Their next fixture sees them travel to Fenerbahce on February 19.
As for what lies ahead, Forest’s stalemate against Wolves had been widely viewed as a decisive fixture for Dyche — yet the uninspiring 0-0 draw did little to ease the pressure. Boos rang out around the City Ground at full-time, and Dyche walked down the tunnel amid a hostile atmosphere, unaware it would be his last time doing so as manager.
Marinakis now faces another crucial appointment in what has become a turbulent and self-inflicted managerial saga. Nuno’s exit followed a public breakdown in relations, Postecoglou lasted just 39 difficult days, and Dyche’s reign ended after fewer than four months.
The next choice must bring stability and clarity of direction. With Forest hovering just three points above the drop zone, there is little room for further missteps.
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