Premier League fans stunned as Nottingham Forest share surprise Vitor Pereira news
Nottingham Forest have surprised fans by announcing that Vitor Pereira has been appointed on an 18-month contract.
Decision-makers at the City Ground have moved quickly to welcome a new manager after Sean Dyche was dismissed on Thursday.
The Englishman was the third Nottingham Forest manager to be sacked this season, after Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.
It was expected that Pereira would sign a short-term deal until the end of the season, when a more permanent decision would be made.
But Nottingham Forest’s statement on Sunday confirmed that the former Wolves boss has put pen to paper on an 18-month deal.
Premier League fans react to Vitor Pereira appointment
Wolves took the same approach when they appointed Pereira midway through last season.
The Portuguese manager faced a difficult task to keep Wolves up, but he did so in style, guiding his side to a 17-point safety net away from the relegation zone.
The job at Nottingham Forest is more difficult, in many ways. The 57-year-old has nearly two months less to instil his tactics into his new players, and must contend with the Europa League, as well.
| Vitor Pereira | Wolves |
| Wins | 14 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Losses | 19 |
| Scored | 54 |
| Conceded | 64 |
Fans will be well aware that Pereira’s second season at Wolves was a disaster. The Premier League‘s bottom club did not win a single league game until he was sacked in November.
But Forest clearly have belief in the former Porto manager, and, potentially, would like him to lead them in the Championship should they go down.
Premier League fans reacted to Sunday’s announcement with a mixture of laughter, surprise, and bemusement.
One Nottingham Forest fan shared much of the sentiment, when he wrote: “Why we’ve given him an 18-month contract is beyond me.”
A fan of another club kept his thoughts simpler, and wrote: “Be gone by [the] end of [the] season when they get relegated”.
Wolves fans were particularly surprised by the confirmation of Pereira’s contract, and one X user wrote: “His agent must be a magician. He’s getting job after job, even though he fails to impress every time.”
Who will join Nottingham Forest with Pereira?
A statement on Sunday also confirmed that several staff members would be joining Pereira at the City Ground.
Filipe Jorge Monteiro Almeida will be his assistant coach, along with Luis Miguel Moreira Da Silva.
Bruno Filipe Araujo De Moura will serve as head of physical performance and opposition analysis, while Pedro Simao Capela Silva Lopes will be an opposition analyst.
Nottingham Forest will travel to one of Pereira’s former clubs, Fenerbahce, on Thursday, before Premier League action returns to the City Ground with the visit of Liverpool on Sunday.