Vitor Pereira has expressed confidence that Nottingham Forest will survive relegation this season, as he prepares to take charge of his first game in charge against Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Portuguese joined the club last week as a replacement for Sean Dyche, who was dismised by owner Evangelos Marinakis after a poor run of form.
Pereira has been out of job since leaving Wolves last year, but is now tasked with guiding the Tricky Trees to safety after becoming their fourth permanent manage of the season.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s European clash against his former side, the 57-year-old revealed there would be no room for complacency till the end of the season.
“I prefer to speak about the present and the future. But you know this is a difficult season for the players, because it’s different methodologies, different managers”, Pereira stated.
“It’s not easy, but I believe the reason why I accept this job is that I believe in the quality of the players, because I believe in the potential of this club, the ambition of the president.
“Of course, I believe that it’s possible (to stay up). I believe that we can get points, results and quality in the games.”
Forest visit Fenerbahce in the first leg of their Europa League playoff on Thursday, before facing Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.
They sit 17th on the standings, three points above the drop zone after failing to win any of their last three league games.
“I learned this is a league in which we cannot make mistakes,” he said.
“The mistakes will punish us. The league will punish the teams and the clubs that make mistakes.
“The high level of this league has conditions to compete and in a small detail you can lose. In a second you can lose and in a second you can win”, Pereira concluded.
Pereira achieved success under Marinakis during their time together at Greek club Olympiacos and will be hoping for another successful spell this time around with Forest.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
