Vitor Pereira embraces pressure as Nottingham Forest’s fourth boss of season
By Jonathan Veal, Press Association
New Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira is not afraid of getting the sack despite taking on the poisoned chalice of the City Ground job.
The 57-year-old Portuguese has become fourth head coach of the season after Sean Dyche followed Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou out of the door last week, as club owner Evangelos Marinakis acted in a bid to avoid Premier League relegation.
Pereira has worked with the combustible Greek businessman before – guiding Olympiacos to a league and club double over a decade ago – so knows how things work.
“The owner is not afraid to make decisions, even if it means making a change,” the former Wolves boss said at his unveiling press conference on Tuesday. “This is his personality, and he wants results.
“If you’re looking for security, you cannot be a manager! I used to be a schoolteacher. The salary is bad, but it was secure.
“In football, security is what you believe. I came here because I really believe I can do good things.”
Asked if he sought extra assurances, he insisted: “No, I’m not worried.”
Pereira, whose first game in charge is Thursday’s Europa League play-off first-leg clash at Fenerbahce, believes the trust between him and Marinakis will make their journey a smooth one.
“He’s ambitious, he wants to win, he’s emotional and I know him very well,” Pereira said. “The conversations were about our time in Olympiacos. I remember the energy and the fire we created.
“Greece is a bit like Turkey. There is fire inside, they like to see the energy and he asked me to be myself. He liked the way that when we worked together, we got the league and the cup.
“It was in the middle of the season and we created a good relationship. He trusts my work, I trust his personality because in football we need passion too.
“I have fire and I have passion. Football is my passion, something that sleeps and wakes with me.
“I came with the intention to give everything of myself, to give my body and soul to this club to help the club and together we can do it.
“This is the pressure that means football is beautiful. We are better under pressure. I need the pressure to be in my best level.
“Pressure is important in football.”
Dyche was sacked in the hours following last Wednesday’s goalless draw with Wolves after several senior players were called into Marinakis’ office for a debrief.
The former Burnley and Everton boss had lost large swathes of his squad’s belief and Pereira has urged his side to get on board with his mantra.
“If you buy the idea, it’s a good step,” he said. “If you don’t buy the idea of the manager, it’s a big problem.
“You must also buy the personality. If you buy the idea and the person, have an open mind to receive information and to work hard together, it’s possible to achieve what we want.”