Vitor Pereira is relishing the opportunity to work under Evangelos Marinakis once again and says he “trusts the personality” of the volatile Nottingham Forest owner.
Forest started the season with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge but his dismissal was followed by the hiring and firing of Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche. Postecoglou lasted just 39 days at the City Ground and Dyche 114 before he was sacked last week.
Pereira has experience of Marinakis’ methods during his time at Olympiacos when he led the Greek club, also owned by the shipping magnate, to the league and cup double in 2015.
And he is not fazed by the task ahead of him at Forest.
He said: “He [Marinakis] is ambitious, he wants to win. Emotional, I know him very well.
“I remember the energy and the fire we created at Olympiacos. In Greece there is a fire inside, they like to see the energy. He asked me to be myself, he liked the way when we worked together we won the league and cup.
“We created a good relationship, he trusts my work, I trust his personality. I think we need passion too.”
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Pereira focusing on the future, not the past
Pereira sidestepped a question relating to his predecessors.
He added: “I prefer to speak about the present and the future. It’s a difficult season for the players because they have different methodologies and managers.
“I believe the reason why I have accepted this job is because I believe in the quality of the players, the potential of this club, the ambition of the president. This the best league, as I said before, in the world.
“I really believe in our work and together we can increase our level.”
Pereira has a tough job on his hands at Forest with the club three points above the Premier League relegation zone and without a win in three games.
The Portuguese is not planning a massive overhaul and will try to stick to the basics in a bid to guide them to safety.
“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,” Pereira said. “It’s important the players feel they can help the team with their qualities. It’s important they express themselves.”
I made mistakes at Wolves – Pereira
Pereira has experience of the Premier League having guided Wolves to safety last season before being sacked in November with the Molineux club bottom of the table.
“I made mistakes – and the club,” Pereira said.
“What I want to say, what a fantastic experience for me. They made me feel [part of] a family. Mistakes make part of life, we know we need to learn and move forward.
“This is a league which you must have everything to compete in it. It does not give you time to delay decisions.
“If you do, you will pay.”
Pereira’s first game in charge is Thursday’s Europa League play-off, first-leg clash at Fenerbahce before they host Liverpool on Sunday.
Why was Pereira sacked by Wolves?
Despite signing a new contract just weeks before, Pereira was sacked by Wolves on November 2, the day after a woeful 3-0 defeat at Fulham.
The loss at Craven Cottage after an early Emmanuel Agbadou red card was Wolves’ eighth in 10 Premier League games, having picked up just two points in the other two to leave them bottom.
Supporters from the away end were heard singing “you’re getting sacked in the morning” in what was the latest in notable signs of discontent at the club, with the manager clashing with fans at Molineux the week before.
After the game, Pereira labelled the performance as “one of the worst we’ve played”, and admitted he “didn’t know why” his players were struggling so much.
He told the club’s site: “I’m disappointed today. I’m not proud of my work, of our work.”
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