Nottingham Forest hope a change in manager can ensure they secure Premier League survival
James McAtee in action for Nottingham Forest(Image: PA)
Nottingham Forest hope a change in the dugout can be the difference in their battle for Premier League survival.
Four managers in one season is new territory for a top-flight club. Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis has staked big on it working out.
Earlier this week, Sean Dyche became the latest boss dismissed from the City Ground hot seat. Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers ended his 114-day tenure Trentside.
Nuno Espirito Santo was moved on three games into the campaign and Ange Postecoglou was axed after just 39 days. Vitor Pereira is the next man in line.
Help us stay visible by adding us as a Preferred Source in your search settings
The Portuguese will be tasked with ensuring Forest stay above the dreaded dotted line. He will have to navigate that challenge alongside playing in the Europa League as the Reds prepare for a two-legged play-off with Fenerbahce this month.
Dyche tended to turn to his second sting for European games as he made the league the priority. In general, he relied upon a core group of players he trusted to deliver and was reluctant to look beyond that.
Some players who found themselves out of favour under the previous regime will no doubt hope their fortunes change with a new man in charge. Below, NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the potential winners and losers at Forest under Pereira.
Winners
Jair Cunha: Part of the starting XI on that miserable Friday night against Wrexham in January. Unlike others in the side, survived being hooked early as the visitors were dumped out of the FA Cup but hasn’t had a kick since.
The third-round tie was the Brazilian’s third appearance for the club since his summer move from Botafogo. When he was handed his sole Premier League run-out, by Postecoglou away to Newcastle United in October, he had given a good account of himself.
Dyche clearly didn’t rate him but perhaps Pereira will give him a chance. If Forest switch to a back three at some point, that could work in the 20-year-old’s favour.
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click ‘Exit Group’. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
James McAtee: So far, the former Manchester City man hasn’t exactly pulled up many trees since his £30 million switch. But he was superb in his last outing, against Ferencvaros.
McAtee scored a late penalty in that game to round off an excellent showing at the City Ground. At the time, it seemed as though that could be the kickstart for his Forest career.
It hasn’t panned out that way, though. Rather bafflingly, given his confidence would have been high, he has spent the past three games as an unused substitute. Maybe Pereira can be the man to really get the 23-year-old going.
Dilane Bakwa: Plenty of the Reds squad are in need of an arm around them and a boost of spirits. No one more so than Bakwa.
Like McAtee, he has struggled to really show what he can do in the Garibaldi. The winger also hasn’t been involved since that Ferencvaros game.
Almost any time he has been handed some minutes, the 23-year-old looks like a man whose confidence is shot to pieces. He is clearly finding it difficult to adapt and is in need of a guiding hand, along with some good man-management.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Get all the Nottingham Forest latest via our Facebook page
Losers
Lorenzo Lucca: Forest will hope the Italian’s miss against Wolves in midweek does not go down as one of the defining moments of the season. They had numerous other chances on the night, but to not take advantage of a six on one break was a huge source of frustration.
For some reason, the hosts played the ball to the 6ft 7in striker’s feet more than many had expected. After all, he had scored with his head when he came off the bench at Leeds United.
Pereira will need to get Forest firing on all cylinders to get them away from danger. He will need to get the best out of Lucca and Igor Jesus – with the latter struggling for goals in the league. Taiwo Awoniyi will hope he plays a part, too, and the Reds will certainly be hoping Chris Wood returns from injury soon.
Lucca will surely have a role to play in the remaining games. He seemed very much like a Dyche player, though, so it will be interesting to see how he is utilised.
Nicolas Dominguez: With Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson the first-choice midfield pairing under Dyche, the Argentine often found himself deployed out wide. Other than against Leeds, he generally did a decent job there.
He had a poor game at Elland Road, though. He can usually be relied upon to fulfil his defensive duties but he left youngster Zach Abbott exposed at right-back on that occasion.
Dominguez was then dropped to the bench on Wednesday. He may have his work cut out to force his way into the new manager’s plans as surely there will be no breaking up the Sangare-Anderson axis.
Who are the winners and losers under Pereira? Click HERE to have your say