Qianhai Port’s head coach Pereira steps in to save the day, Nottingham Forest sets Premier League record with four managers in one season

By Han Bing At 00:31 on February 12 (UK time), Nottingham Forest confirmed the sacking of manager Steve Cooper. British media generally agree that Pereira, who took over mid-season last year to help Wolves stay up, will become the team’s fourth official coach this season.

Nottingham Forest’s first three managers this season were Nuno for 24 days, Postecoglou for 40 days, and Cooper for 114 days. Even if Pereira lasts until the end of the season, his tenure will only be 100 days. The Guardian sarcastically noted: some fruits at Nottingham’s market stay on shelves longer than Forest’s managers stay in charge.

Nottingham Forest’s owner, Greek shipping magnate Marinakis, is known for his temperamental and unpredictable nature, but neither media nor fans expected him to replicate his Greek style so quickly in the Premier League. Appointing four official managers in one season sets a new Premier League record. Previously, clubs like Watford in 2019/20 and 2021/22, and Chelsea in 2022/23 also had four managers in a season, but at least one was an interim or youth coach.

Marinakis, beloved by Forest fans for his generosity, set a club record last summer by spending €242 million on 13 new signings and poaching Arsenal’s highly regarded sporting director Edu. With a net worth near €600 million, Nottingham Forest should be competing beyond just survival. Yet, neither Nuno, who once lifted the team to 4th place, nor experienced coaches Postecoglou and Cooper, could reverse the club’s struggles.

Cooper’s dismissal marks Marinakis’s second managerial change within hours after a match this season, and it followed a crisis meeting—otherwise the timing might have been even quicker.

Impatience defines Marinakis’s character; he is a major shareholder of Greek giants Olympiacos. Since taking over in summer 2010, he has appointed 25 managers in under 16 years, including renowned Spanish coaches Valverde, Michel, Oscar Garcia, and Mendilibar, but mostly Portuguese managers—Jardim, Marco Silva, Paulo Bento, Martins, and former Qianhai Port coach Pereira. Back in January 2015, Pereira also came in mid-season to rescue Olympiacos, and 16 years later, Marinakis entrusted him again.

Marinakis’s actions in Greece have been “extreme”: in the 2017/18 season, he replaced five managers, and in both 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, he appointed four managers each. Changing four managers in a season is "routine" for the Greek magnate. Previously, he faced criticism for interfering excessively with tactics, player selection, and even confronting referees. After the East Midlands derby against Leicester City last May, Marinakis walked onto the pitch to publicly argue tactics with coach Nuno, captured live on broadcast.

Marinakis’s “impulsive” decisions seem somewhat justified: firing Nuno was due to a complete breakdown in their relationship; dismissing Postecoglou after only eight games was seen as timely damage control for poor results; when Cooper took over in mid-October last year, Forest were two points inside the relegation zone but have since climbed out with a three-point cushion. However, after a home game against bottom-placed Wolves where Forest had 35 shots but failed to score, Marinakis’s face in the VIP box was grim. The usually ruthless owner’s only “mercy” was giving Cooper three hours post-match to attend the press conference—Postecoglou was sacked 20 minutes after a game last year.

In early November last year, Pereira was dismissed by Wolves and has now been rehired by former owner Marinakis after three and a half months. As the Daily Mail puts it, Nottingham Forest’s managerial position is the most precarious in the Premier League. Eleven years ago, Pereira was fired after completing a season at Olympiacos. Can he last until the end of the season in the far tougher Premier League environment?

In Premier League history, 21 teams have changed managers three times in a single season, with only six avoiding relegation. As for switching managers four times in one season, Watford, who did so twice before, suffered relegation. Can Nottingham Forest escape the drop?