Nottingham Forest have sacked head coach of Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi, Sean Dyche, after a short spell in charge, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Premier League club is now moving quickly to appoint a replacement as it battles to avoid being drawn deeper into the relegation fight.
Vítor Pereira has emerged as the leading candidate to take over at the City Ground following Dyche’s dismissal, with reports indicating that Forest are already in talks with the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager over the vacant role.
Dyche leaves Nottingham Forest
Forest confirmed Dyche’s departure after a disappointing run of results that has left the club hovering just above the relegation zone.
The Englishman had only been in charge for a few months, but a lack of consistency and mounting pressure from supporters and the club’s hierarchy led to his exit.
This decision makes Dyche the club’s third managerial casualty of the season. With crucial fixtures ahead, the club’s board are keen to appoint a new head coach as soon as possible to steady their Premier League status.
Attention has now turned to Pereira, who is currently out of work after his spell at Wolves and is believed to be open to a return to English football. His previous working relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at Olympiacos is also seen as a key factor in his candidacy.
If appointed, Pereira would inherit a squad that includes Nigerian internationals Aina and Awoniyi, both of whom could play central roles in Forest’s survival push.
How Pereira turned Osayi-Samuel into a defender
The Portuguese tactician is also well known in Nigerian football circles for the impact he had on Bright Osayi-Samuel’s career.
The Portuguese coach was responsible for converting Osayi-Samuel from a winger into a marauding right-back in 2021.
The Super Eagles star initially resisted the positional change, but the decision has since proved pivotal to his development.
“It was Vítor Pereira, who was the coach at Wolves at the time, who wanted me to play as a wing-back,” Osayi-Samuel explained. “At first, I did not like it — I hated it — but I began to see improvements and realised I could actually become a better player. Then I got recognised for the national team, so I am grateful to him,” Osayi-Samuel said, as quoted by Birmingham Live.
Meanwhile, since making the switch permanently in 2022, Osayi-Samuel has established himself as one of Nigeria’s most reliable defenders.
