A fourth manager of the season seemed a wild strategy but Portuguese coach has galvanised the squad and this journey could end in the Champions League
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ootball, it transpires, is not rocket science. If it were, Nottingham Forest would not be close to securing Premier League survival and two games from Champions League football next season. The club’s approach could hardly be described as methodical but whether by accident or design, Vítor Pereira, Forest’s fourth head coach in six months, has found the right formula.
When eight changes to the lineup were announced for Monday’s visit to Chelsea, eyebrows were raised as the second string were sent out. It allowed Pereira to rest others for Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg at Aston Villa. Within two minutes they were ahead and by the hour they were out of sight and a further step towards salvation thanks to a third away win in a row.
Others will point to different significant victories but the one at Stamford Bridge showed Pereira has everyone in the squad firing. It was Taiwo Awoniyi’s second start of the season and he hit a double, and Luca Netz made his full debut but there was nothing to indicate that in his performance. Keeping everyone in the squad happy in a world of egos is difficult to do, but Pereira is an astute man-manager who makes a conscious effort to speak daily to each player to ensure they know their value within the machine.
