Pereira emerges as leading candidate for the job
Nottingham Forest have parted ways with head coach Sean Dyche after just 114 days in charge. The decision follows a goalless draw at home against bottom side Wolves on Wednesday which left Forest three points above the Premier League relegation zone with 12 games left. Sources indicate that former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira is a leading contender to replace Dyche. Pereira previously worked under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at Olympiacos and kept Wolves in the Premier League last season after joining mid-campaign. He was sacked in November with Wolves on two points from 10 matches.
Club statement and Dyche’s brief tenure
Nottingham Forest confirmed the dismissal in a short statement thanking Dyche and his staff for their efforts and wishing them well. Dyche took over when Forest sat 18th after one win in eight games. He started with a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth but then guided the team to four wins and one draw in the next seven matches to escape the drop zone. A run of four straight defeats followed but Forest responded with a four-match unbeaten streak including wins over West Ham and a draw against Arsenal. However recent form has seen them win only twice in their last 10 league games and exit the FA Cup on penalties to Wrexham.
Turbulent managerial changes this season
Dyche becomes the third permanent head coach sacked this season after Ange Postecoglou lasted 39 days and Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed just three matches into the 2025-26 campaign. The constant changes highlight ongoing instability at the club. Forest finished 13th in the Europa League group stage to reach the knockout phase and face Fenerbahce this month. They are out of both domestic cups having lost early in the EFL Cup and FA Cup. Last season they finished seventh and qualified for Europe but this term has seen regression despite heavy spending.
Dyche’s final comments and expert views
In his post-match comments after the Wolves draw Dyche sounded aware of possible change saying the owner has been fair but decisions are his to make. He acknowledged the noise around the club had shifted significantly. Experts on Match of the Day backed Dyche with Alan Shearer saying his experience made him ideal for the fight and Danny Murphy calling it crazy to sack him given his track record in survival battles. Despite early success the board lost patience after poor results and fan frustration grew.
Analysis of Forest’s chaotic season
Forest’s season has lurched from crisis to crisis with three managerial changes. Nuno’s exit stemmed from a breakdown with sporting director Edu and Marinakis. Postecoglou’s appointment proved mismatched stylistically. Dyche was seen as a safe pair of hands with ties to the club from his youth days but failed to sustain momentum. The club spent heavily last summer yet finds itself in relegation danger despite European qualification hopes. The rapid turnover reflects deeper issues in structure relationships and decision-making at the City Ground.
