Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White, speaking to TNT Sports after a 3-0 win at Fenerbahce: "I felt we had a real identity out there. We defended well and we created so many chances."

On the new manager: "His message to us is that we will have a real identity how we play and defend as a team. We have all bought into what he wants straight away.

"It is about keep learning off each other and take it game by game.

"We needed a clean sheet and we needed a win and today felt like the perfect moment. Our fans were top tonight, they were incredible. An all-round incredible day.

"You want to enjoy every moment as a player. I said yesterday it can be difficult as footballer to enjoy moments because of how quick the games come up. We can enjoy it tonight and then prepare for Liverpool at the weekend.

"We have been going through a difficult time, confidence is the main thing and tonight will boost confidence. We just have to stay together and be the most complete team."

Did you know?

• This was Fenerbahçe's joint-biggest home Europa League defeat, after also losing 3-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach in December 2012 and Olympiakos in September 2021.

• With tonight's 3-0 victory, Nottingham Forest recorded their biggest ever away win in major European competition. It was also their first win in the knockout rounds of any European competition since defeating Lyon 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Cup round of 16 tie in November 1995.

• No player has netted more goals than Igor Jesus in the UEFA Europa League this season (7), while his seven strikes are now the outright-most for the club during a major European campaign, overtaking Gary Birtles' six during the 1978-79 European Cup.

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Ally McCoist, former Rangers striker on TNT Sports: "Nottingham Forest were miles ahead, they just looked like a different team from a different league.

"Sean Dyche might be asking a question, where has that been?

"That was a top class performance over 90 minutes. Particularly the first 45 where they never put a foot wrong.

"From Vitor Pereira's point of view, clean sheet, comfortable victory, all but in the next round."

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Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Forest's first leg performance

Come back on Friday for a selection of your replies

Fenerbahce make one change to the side that started their 3-2 win against Trabzonspor in the Turkish top flight on 14 February, as Ismail Yuksek makes way for Sidiki Cherif.

That means former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson begins in goal, Nelson Semedo, who played under Vitor Pereira at Wolves last term, is at right-back, while the likes of ex-Chelsea star N'Golo Kante will play alongside one-time Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi, in midfield.

Fenerbahce XI: Ederson, Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Muldur Guendouzi, Kante, Asensio, Talisca, Cherif, Akturkoglu

Subs: Cetin, Biterge, Brown, Soyuncu, Yuksek, Fred, Demir, Mercan, Nene, Ekici. Aydın

In what has been something of an extraordinary season for Nottingham Forest manager-wise, they will have their fourth coach of the season in the dugout today as Pereira takes charge for the first time when they face Fenerbahce in under an hour.

He makes two changes to the Forest starting line-up from the 0-0 draw against Wolves in the Premier League on 11 February. Igor Jesus comes in for Lorenzo Lucca and Murillo replaces Morato.

Nottingham Forest XI: Ortega, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Jesus.

Subs: Gunn, Willows, Morato, Ndoye, Dominguez, Lucca, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee, Bakwa, Abbott.

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Former Nottingham Forest player Steve Hodge bemoaned the constant managerial changes at the club on the latest Shut Up And Show More Football podcast.

Vitor Pereira is Forest's fourth manager of the season and Hodge said: "Nuno [Espirito Santo] going when they knew he was going, Ange [Postecoglou] changing the system completely and making everything unstable and then bringing Sean Dyche in, with whatever happened there, who knows?

"But, by the end of it, you got the impression that one or two players weren't happy with the manager. The majority were, but one or two weren't."

He added: "It's been a continuous merry-go-round of people not being happy with the manager, for whatever reason, so, I think sometimes it's good to have someone who is quiet and calm, unassuming and it's not all about him. I think players like and respect that, because they are the stars.

"I don't know how he motivates them, that will have to come from within. These guys have World Cups to go to, things to prove, so they all have motivation to be top players. They are top players."

Nottingham Forest play Fenerbahçe in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round play-offs on Thursday (17:45 GMT).

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Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White says new boss Vitor Pereira has been "really clear with what he wants us to do" and that the players "have bought into" that.

Speaking before Thursday's Europa League play-off first leg at Fenerbahce (17:45 GMT), Gibbs-White said: "As players, you get used to change. Managers come and go, players come and go, so I think it is important that players stick together in those moments.

"Since the new manager has come in, it has been really exciting and he has been really clear with what he wants us to do.

"He has brought in a clear idea of how we want to play and the players have bought into that already."

On the atmosphere expected at Fenerbahce, Gibbs-White added: "I don't think you can really prepare for an atmosphere.

"You have just got to focus on your game, the team and what you can do to help the team as much as possible - try not to pay attention to the atmosphere."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League play-off first leg at Fenerbahce (kick-off 17:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Pereira confirmed defender Murillo has trained with the side and is in contention for Thursday's game. However, Stefan Ortega has replaced Matz Sels in the Europa League squad, although the new boss insisted the goalkeeper's injury is not long term and he is "recovering well".

• The head coach, who has joined on an 18-month contract, says he is "very confident" about the role because that is "my character, my personality", and added: "I recognise the quality in my players, in the squad. We just need the click, the win, to start to be more confident."

• On his first days at the club and what he can change for this game: "The most important thing is my opinion. In two days, you cannot come with a lot of information. You must be intelligent to give a clear message here tactically. You know I like to play tactically in a way, and this is something that cannot change in two days."

• Pereira added: "Since the first day, I believe we can start to create identity, this is the way we want to play, and if players buy the idea and they feel they can be important in the idea then this is the way to achieve our target."

• On playing in the atmosphere of a stadium like Fenerbahce's: "For the players, this is the atmosphere that they enjoy to play in. They enjoy to play in this kind of energy. For me, it is a pleasure to be here and to face a team with passion and to show our passion, show our energy, show our ambition. To play with courage and organisation."

• Asked about the difficulty of playing with that courage in their current run of form, he responded: "Since the first day you can start to give this energy to them. I believe that a team absorbs a lot of the passion and personality of the manager. We need to think about the game tomorrow as an opportunity to show our qualities, to prove ourselves, and to be proud at end of game with what we did."

• Having had two spells at Fenerbahce, Pereira knows they are facing a "tough game" but is also expecting one with "quality" as there is "a lot talent on the pitch".

Listen to live commentary of Fenerbahce v Nottingham Forest at 17:45 on Thursday on BBC Radio Nottingham

Got a question about Forest? Get in touch here and we'll put it to our experts

David Jackson
BBC Radio Nottingham reporter

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And so begins life under a fourth manager in four seasons. Nuno Espirito Santo (summer), Ange Postecoglou (autumn) and Sean Dyche (winter) have led us to Vitor Pereira to take us into spring. What a year.

Sitting here on a flight to Istanbul for Nottingham Forest's first Europa League knockout phase match - against Fenerbahce on Thursday - it's hard not to reflect on the league phase and the missed opportunities in it.

The enjoyable trip to Seville for the first game was an undoubted highlight and home victories over Porto, Malmo and Ferencvaros at least meant we carry on into the knockout stages, but the dreadful collapse against Midtjylland, the poor draw at Sturm Graz and the lack of punch in the Braga rain all cost Forest dearly and are the reason they find themselves in this play-off.

But now comes a new start - another one - and I can't remember a managerial appointment being treated with such a level of apathy from so many supporters.

The fans we've spoken to are tired of welcoming a new man through the door and tired of hoping this one will be the answer to all their problems.

Pereira will need every bit of his charm and positivity to win over the fans (and players) to save this season.

And while the Europa League has been more of a distraction than the joyous addition supporters had hoped for, a win in Turkey could provide the hope that this largely miserable season could yet have a happy ending.

Listen to full commentary on every Nottingham Forest game, and In The Game every weeknight from 18:00, on BBC Radio Nottingham.

And subscribe to the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast on BBC Sounds.

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We asked for your views on how Nottingham Forest's managerial rotation impacts the team. A little lower down this page you'll find comments from Andros Townsend, who has questioned if Vitor Pereira will be Forest's last managerial switch this season.

Here are some of your comments:

Dave: It's no coincidence that Forest's success over the past few years has seen relative stability in terms of managers, just Stevie and Nuno. It seems like we're returning to the chaos that got us stranded in the Championship in the first place.

Kris: In the modern game the head coach model has diminished the influence managers once had over players. However, they're still human and we're all programmed to seek stability and structure. This many changes will affect them, some more than others, but you would hope the fear of relegation is a strong enough motivator to perform. But, it's always the hope that kills you!

Tony: I really hope the new manager can do well. But it isn't just the player power he is up against. The person behind this season's turmoil needs to take some responsibility for the destruction of team moral, tactics and the fan base dissolution. This is a situation we should never have been in.

Peter: I think Marinakis is clueless when it comes to appointing a manager. His current track record supports this view, four managers so far!! How does he think this impacts on the players? It is desperately unsettling for them. Every appointee will bring their own 'style' and the players have to take this on board. Ridiculous springs to mind. Ultimately he will do untold damage to the club but will, no doubt, blame everyone except himself.

Rude: Postecoglou did the damage and we're still trying to recover. Forest have a decent squad but consistent interference and meddling from Edu does not help anyone.

Shaun: Nuno got himself sacked. Of course all managers prefer to get players in early, but publicly moaning about it was not the way to do it. Ange should not have been signed as he was still holding resentment about how Spurs treated him and had no interest in being the Forest manager. Dyche got a manager bounce but showed his inability to adapt tactics to get the best out of the best set of players he had the chance to manage. Vitor needs to be given the rest of the season - then judge him from there as to him taking us forward. Of course the quality of manager available and if they would be willing to join us also holds sway to whether we hire another manger in the summer. I wish Vitor the best of luck while he is at Forest.

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Nottingham Forest players' heads will be "spinning" with another managerial change, but new boss Vitor Pereira "understands what the requirements are" with owner Evangelos Marinakis, says former defender Matt Upson.

Ex-Wolves head coach Pereira joined Forest earlier this week on an 18-month deal following the sacking of Sean Dyche but has experience of working under Marinakis having been in charge of his Olympiakos side in 2015.

"Pereira has had previous with the owner at Olympiakos and he kind of feels that he trusts in his work," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"I think history has shown Marinakis is probably not an easy owner to work for. So he's had that experience, he understands what the requirements are, he understands what he wants, he knows it.

"It might not be a long-term thing but at the moment Pereira is right. I believe he's right in the sense he's coming into a club that has good players. They've spent some money on players that are pretty handy.

"The mixed opinion is a major problem and having four managers in that short period of time, being pulled this way or the other, I think the players heads are spinning and don't quite know where to go. So Pereira's got his work cut out. I know he's experienced at this kind of thing, but I think it's a tough job for him."

With Forest now on their fourth manager of the season as they look to avoid relegation, former Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend believes Marinakis is not an owner you can "handle".

He added: "Pereira's got the experience of Maranakis. He knows what he likes, what he doesn't like, he knows what makes him tick, so it gives him the head start. But I think for Nottingham Forest now, Maranakis, that's sort of the point of no return.

"I wouldn't be surprised if this manager comes in and he doesn't make a good start. I wouldn't be surprised if they got another manager in just to get them over the line.

"Can they get a manager to get them that bounce like Sean Dyche did at the start? Big Ange [Postecoglou] didn't do that, but can Vitor Pereira now give them a few wins just to give them some breathing space going into the remaining games?"

How big an impact does the instability in managers have on the team and club? Would a fifth head coach of the season be unthinkable if things don't go well for the new boss?

Get in touch with your views here

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Nottingham Forest's 23-year-old Brazil defender Murillo has emerged as a key target for Chelsea but the Reds' asking price is around £70m. (Caught Offside), external

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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A smiling Vitor Pereira arrived at the City Ground with his eyes open.

The new Nottingham Forest boss - the club's fourth of the season - was honest and reflective in his first news conference.

He was relaxed and ready but it was not lost on him - nor should it be - that job security at the City Ground is at a premium.

It is just 161 days since Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked, and Forest have gone through Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche before arriving at Pereira.

Quizzed on the longevity of managers the ex-Wolves head coach was pragmatic and understood the nature of his task: keep Forest up and owner Evangelos Marinakis happy.

He is back in work three and a half months after leaving Wolves to reunite with Marinakis, having worked with the Greek owner at Olympiacos in 2015.

It means there should be no secrets and surprises between the pair, and being able to understand the emotional Forest owner will be crucial.

Thursday's Europa League trip to Fenerbahce will be a different scene to what Pereira has been doing in the past few months, using his break to cycle, walk and eat in Portugal. He confessed he may need to lose a few kilos.

He has 12 games to ensure Nottingham Forest remain in the Premier League - an unthinkable situation when they were going for the Champions League on the final day of last season.

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been giving his first news conference since being appointed as Sean Dyche's successor.

Here are the key lines:

• Pereira said he accepted the job "because I believe in the quality of the players, the potential of this club, the ambition of the president".

• He said he has a "good relationship" with Evangelos Marinakis: "He trusts my work, I trust his personality."

• In his time at Wolves, Pereira learned that a "small detail" is crucial in the Premier League. He added: "We cannot make mistakes."

• He said that at Wolves - which felt like "family" - he learned that in order to compete in the Premier League, "you must have everything", adding: "It does not give you time to delay decisions. If you do, you will pay."

• When asked about his first message to the players, Pereira said: "If you don't buy the idea of the manager, it's a big problem. If you buy the idea and the person, it's an open mind to receive information and to work hard together."

• On the impact his mid-season arrival can have: "I cannot change a lot in this moment of the season. It's about making the players comfortable playing in the roles I'm demanding. It's important the players feel they can help the team with their qualities. It's important they express themselves."

• On his tradition of going to the pub with fans after Wolves wins: "I'm not an actor. I'm a simple guy, an honest guy, confident... and when I feel I deserve the pints - of course!"

Got a question about Forest? Get in touch here and we'll put it to our experts

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

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New Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira says he wants his team to be defined by "freedom" and "happiness".

The Portuguese became the Reds' fourth manager of the season when he signed an 18-month deal and he took training for the first time on Monday.

To achieve Premier League survival - Forest are three points clear of the relegation places - and progress from the Europa League play-offs, Pereira intends to promote a relaxed atmosphere.

"This is the identity I want to create – the freedom to express themselves, to be happy and enjoy," the 57-year-old told BBC Radio Nottingham. "For me, this is the way."

"You must believe in the idea, the game you are proposing and to accept the person - because we are human beings and mistakes can happen. It is important to recognise the values and important to accept and believe in the leader."

Pereira's first job will be to lead Forest through the first of a two-legged Europa League play-off against Fenerbahce - whom Pereira formerly managed - that will decide if they qualify for the last 16.

Three days after the game in Turkey, Forest host Liverpool in the league, before Fenerbahce come to the City Ground for the return leg.

Pereira recognises the challenges facing his team as another manager arrives to lead them in fights on two fronts.

"It is difficult [for the players] to change every time because each manager has their leadership and idea of football, but it is important to believe in the work we are doing," said Pereira, who was sacked by Wolves in November with the West Midlands side on just two points.

"I cannot change a lot because that is impossible playing every three days. It means they need to be intelligent to understand and I believe we can create something strong together.

"We start today to explain the ideas. It is important to make players comfortable in the roles and win their confidence - to give them the confidence to play and to be themselves.

"We cannot come to training and not enjoy it. We must enjoy it and being here, to create the spirit of a family, to help each other, to create the environment to feel happy and proud of our work.

"This is the idea - not to think about what can happen because the future we do not know. We just can work in the present.

"They proved today to me that they want to play good football, they want to win, they have quality. I really believe that together we can get the points - and the quality the team showed in the past, they can show in the future."

Listen to Pereira's interview with BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray below or on BBC Sounds here

Come back to this page later on Tuesday for all the key lines from Pereira's first news conference as Forest head coach.

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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When you've had as many managers as Nottingham Forest have had this century, it's often hard to renew your enthusiasm.

Sabri Lamouchi's appointment in June 2019 was met with something of a shrug, a little-known name on the back of a disappointing season.

However, arguably he was the one who set us on our current path - despite the collapse to Stoke City on the final day of the season, a sense of hope and belief was restored by a head coach who connected with the fans and oversaw the Reds' best finish in a decade.

He didn't last, of course, and Vitor Pereira arrives at a time when hope and belief are things we've only experienced intermittently this campaign. Ignoring his winless start to the season with Wolves - and we have to, for enthusiasm's sake - then his rescue job last term is what we're really interested in.

Can he galvanise the players and unite the fans behind him? Will there be an opportunity for fringe players to really prove themselves? And will his experience in Europe, notably as manager of Thursday's opponents Fenerbahce, offer a future in the Europa League?

As at Wolves, and like Nuno Espirito Santo before him, Pereira's ability to converse in English, Portuguese and Spanish will benefit the multinational squad.

While he favoured a 3-4-2-1 formation at Wolves, I would imagine he's more likely to stick with Forest's established 4-2-3-1 set-up. And his emphasis on a compact defence, mid block, use of wide areas and counter-attacking will suit a side readymade for his tactics.

More importantly, regaining the players' confidence, as well togetherness and determination, is the key to salvaging our current predicament. That and unlocking our ability to actually score goals.

Since finishing seventh last season, there's been bad decision after bad decision by the club's hierarchy. We have to hope Pereira's arrival is finally a good one.

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

Nottingham Forest defender Murillo is set to leave the club this summer with Chelsea showing firm interest and Liverpool also considering making a move for the 23-year-old Brazilian. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester City have been told they will have to pay £60-70m to prise England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, 26, away from Nottingham Forest in the summer. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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We asked for your views on Vitor Pereira becoming Nottingham Forest's fourth manager of the season and the likelihood of Forest avoiding relegation.

Here are some of your comments:

Simon: Sad to see SD go. Should have been given until end of the season. Players let him down against Wolves on Wednesday. They need to take a long, hard look at themselves. I think he would have kept them up.

That said, I think VP could be a shrewd choice. Another Portuguese will suit the Brazilians and it's interesting he's managed Fenerbahce, who Forest play in the Europa League play-offs. Think he'll keep them up too, but not sure he'll be given a contract extension. Rumours suggest Marinakis would like Marco Silva when his Fulham contract expires this summer.

Ken: Yes it will work. We've swapped a Morris Minor for a Bentley. He will sort us out to stay up, then further embed his philosophy in the summer. First thing is to implement his middle press and teach the players his triggers and when to use them. Gone will be the running them till they drop like Dyche did. I think he will be a big success and the fans will come to love him. This bloke has a career win rate of 52% and has successfully managed some big clubs. He's also worked with Marinakis before, winning him the Greek double. Give him a chance.

Sean: This will not work. No offence to the new boss, but having a fourth "permanent" manager will only create further instability in the team. I feel sorry for the players, especially our new signings, there's been no stability for them at all this season and they're expected to come in and be brilliant. Pereira will have a tough job, but he has to get us scoring goals and not conceding and he needs a confident team to do it. I am hopefully wrong, but I can't see that happening.

Neil: We need to forget what has happened so far this season and concentrate on PL survival, even at the expense of the Europa League. We need a manager who can galvanise our squad and get them fighting for results the way Leeds and West Ham have been doing. Hopefully he is the right guy to do this, because if we go down it will be catastrophic for the club.

Charles: Not a clue, up to the players. Clearly their power has been influential in the dismissal of Dyche.

Tony: This season is all on the owner! I don't fancy a bet on us staying up with the latest appointment!

Vitor Pereira has agreed to take over at Nottingham Forest on a deal until the end of next season.

The former Wolves boss succeeds the sacked Sean Dyche and becomes the Reds' fourth manager of the campaign, after the earlier dismissals of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.

So, we have two questions for you:

• Will this appointment work?

• What's the first thing Pereira needs to do?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor speaking about Vitor Pereira on the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast: "First thing, he was a great guy. He was not quite how we were led to believe he would be. When he was appointed the word was he was this fiery temperament. It was entertaining but not at all like that. He was always smiling, with a quip and one-liners. Very quickly he engaged with the players - getting results - and then engaged with supporters."

Asked if Pereira can get a quick reaction, Taylor said: "He did do that at Wolves. They were struggling badly in December of last season. A lot of supporters thought their number was up. He came in, the first game at Leicester, Wolves had to stand up and win that game which they did. Later they had a run of six wins in a row. In the sense he galvanised the team, pulled them together and a state of basic organisation. His managerial record, he's been everywhere, often not for very long. So this is the Pereira method, has been go in, do a job and move on. He had nine clubs in 10 years in seven countries before Wolves. Short-term is his thing. For the short-term he did a job.

"He is a bit of a football romantic. I would see it being a good appointment for someone like Gibbs-White, who is clearly the point of difference that would put Forest ahead of others at the bottom of the table."

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BBC Radio Nottingham Forest commentator Colin Fray speaking about Sean Dyche's dismissal on the latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football: "I think to judge it on stats is very difficult, this decision.

"It's not just based on stats. There's a lot more to it, there's a feeling of a disconnect between supporters and Dyche and the team. We heard on the final whistle what supporters thought of Forest not being able to score against Wolves. It's a culmination really.

"If you base it on stats, it's hard to justify. It's one defeat in six in the Premier League.

"Stats-wise, it's a hard decision to justify.

"This should have been a joyful season for Forest fans. It's been anything but, an absolute slog. So Forest fans clearly getting more and more angry. Dyche refers to it as the noise changing in recent weeks.

"If you were a Premier League club in this position you would look to Sean Dyche. They have to find somebody a bit like that.

"Vitor Pereira is the name at the moment. Short-term, he kept Wolves in the Premier League. He has I think over time proved he is a manager who can get a quick reaction. That is absolutely vital. They have to get that at Forest if they are to stay in the Premier League.

"They desperately need to get this one right if they are to preserve their Premier League status."

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