How Vitor Pereira has already made an impression at Nottingham Forest: What new boss has instructed struggling stars, the important thing modifications from Sean Dyche’s troubled reign – and the the reason why membership consider in him

It will take more than one impressive result to make Nottingham Forest supporters lose their fear of relegation.

Yet as an opening night performance for Vitor Pereira, it could hardly have gone better. Three goals away from home against Fenerbahce, a clean sheet and the revival of some of Forest’s key players. Perhaps four managers in a season really is the way to go.

Pereira has been at the club only since Sunday but already he is making an impact. Daily Mail Sport has been given an insight into Pereira’s early days and while there is still much work to do, starting against Liverpool at the City Ground on Sunday, but the early signs are encouraging.

Pereira’s principal messages have been about enjoyment. In his early interactions with the squad, he has emphasised how much he believes in their talent and how much he admired them when coaching Wolves last season.

His idea is to give Forest’s most creative players the platform to shine. He would like them to defend from the front and seek to control games more than they were doing under Sean Dyche.

If that sounds a little too much like Ange Postecoglou for comfort, think again. Ultimately, Pereira is a pragmatist. To revive Wolves in 2024-25, he switched quickly to a back three because he knew this was the system the players liked best.

Nottingham Forest beat Fenerbahce 3-0 away from home in Vitor Pereira’s first game in charge

It was a superb result for the club and the former Wolves boss is already making an impact

By contrast, Forest have been playing with a back four for most of the last two years and even though he is a back three man at heart, Pereira is unwilling to implement drastic changes with only 12 league games left and Premier League status to preserve.

Though there will be certain adjustments – such as the higher defensive line seen in Istanbul – it was notable that the Forest starting XI was similar to the one preferred by Dyche. But Pereira intends to try to take the initiative where he can, which will mean playing with two attacking wide men where possible.

It would have been hard to imagine Dyche picking Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi from the off in an environment as hostile as Fenerbahce’s Sukru Sarakoglu Stadium.

Pereira is said to manage players with a lighter touch than Dyche or his predecessor Ange Postecoglou. With his natural warmth and easy manner, Pereira is said to have lifted the atmosphere at the club’s training ground on the outskirts of Nottingham.

He has held individual chats with most players but rather than delve too deeply into tactical matters or the reasons for Forest’s slump, it is thought he has focused on telling them how highly he rates them. Even leading Premier League players feel insecure about their ability from time to time and need to be reminded how good they are. Under the last two bosses, this seemed to happen all too rarely.

With Postecoglou, the players felt their qualification for Europe in 2024-25 was too easily dismissed. Under Dyche, they felt their natural talent was stifled by the dreary football.

The hope is that Pereira can find the sweet spot discovered by Nuno Espirito Santo, who led Forest into Europe last term. Time could not be tighter.

It is difficult to overstate how far matters had declined in the final weeks under Dyche and Daily Mail Sport described the disconnection between Dyche and the players in the hours after his sacking.

In Pereira’s first week he has focused on enjoyment and filling his players with confidence 

It is difficult to overstate how far matters had declined in the final weeks under Sean Dyche

This is a great start for Pereira, but there is still a long way to go in Forest’s relegation fight

Yet such is Dyche’s popularity among pundits of his generation meant the decision was ridiculed in some quarters. Ex-players who know and like Dyche pointed to the raw numbers: one defeat in his six final games and three points clear of relegation, as opposed to two adrift of safety when he took over last October.

Those who follow the situation more closely knew it was about much more, though. Quite simply, players were starting to check out. They even experienced little joy in victory because they felt the tactics were so restrictive. Mentally and physically, the training sessions left them exhausted.

Renowned for their strong spirit under Nuno, some players felt it had collapsed in recent months and at least in part, they blamed Dyche for that. It was all too clear that there were those Dyche rated and those he did not, which created divisions. 

There was a view that Dyche did too little to heal these cracks. However angry it might make the pro-Dyche lobby, Forest were heading in only one direction under him – towards the Championship.

Perhaps belatedly, the players have realised that more is needed from them. They can no longer shrug off poor results by pinning them on the manager.

During the discussions with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis that preceded Dyche’s sacking, the delegation of senior players accepted that they had to move on from Nuno, who had given them such memorable times. They also understand they need to accept Pereira’s ways between now and May. They know they need stability now, however belatedly.

Pereira’s shocking start to this season at Wolves, which led to his exit in November, has overshadowed just how good a job he did when he arrived at Molineux in December 2024. 

Back then, Wolves looked destined for the second tier but they survived with plenty to spare and there are similarities here. Whereas Forest’s players had their enthusiasm drained under Dyche, Wolves’ lost their discipline under Gary O’Neil. At Molineux, Pereira showed he could bring back both.

A single victory, however impressive, does not move the dial on Forest’s relegation fight. Pereira is starting to nudge these players in the right direction – but this time, they need to prove they can stay the course.