Nottingham Forest open talks with Vitor Pereira after sacking Sean Dyche

• Forest move quickly to line up former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira after dismissing Sean Dyche
• Dyche leaves after just 114 days with Forest three points above the relegation zone
• Owner Evangelos Marinakis faces mounting scrutiny after fourth managerial search of the season

Nottingham Forest have opened talks with former Wolves manager Vitor Pereira after sacking Sean Dyche following just 114 days in charge.

Forest were held to a goalless draw at home by bottom club Wolves on Wednesday night, a result that left them three points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with 12 matches remaining. Within hours, Dyche was dismissed, with the club now searching for their fourth permanent head coach of a turbulent season.

Sources have told BBC Sport that Pereira is a leading candidate to take charge. The 57 year old previously worked under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at Greek club Olympiacos and is admired for his experience in high pressure environments.

Pereira joined Wolves midway through last season and was credited with stabilising the club to secure Premier League survival. However, he was sacked in November after a difficult start to the current campaign, with Wolves collecting just two points from their opening 10 matches.

Forest confirmed Dyche’s departure in a brief statement. “Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach. We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the club and we wish them the best of luck for the future.”

Dyche had been appointed in October with Forest sitting 18th after one win in eight matches. After losing his first game 2-0 to Bournemouth, he oversaw a run of four wins and one draw from seven matches, lifting Forest out of the bottom three and briefly restoring stability.

However, that momentum faded. Four consecutive defeats were followed by a short unbeaten spell that included a resilient draw at Arsenal and a vital win at West Ham. Yet just two victories from their last 10 league matches, combined with elimination from the FA Cup by Wrexham, proved decisive.

Forest’s struggles have been magnified by the improvement of Leeds United and West Ham, leaving Dyche’s side locked in another relegation scrap. The stalemate against Wolves, despite 35 attempts on goal, appeared to be the final straw for Marinakis, who was visibly frustrated in the stands throughout the match.

Speaking shortly before his dismissal, Dyche sounded resigned to his fate. “The owner has been fair to me, without a shadow of a doubt. If he wants to make a change then that is his decision. That is the reality of football now.”

The former Burnley and Everton manager had been nominated for Premier League manager of the month just a week earlier, a reflection of Forest’s improved performances in recent weeks. Former England striker Alan Shearer described the decision to sack him as baffling, saying he would have “without a doubt stuck with Sean” in a relegation fight.

Forest’s chaotic season has already seen Ange Postecoglou dismissed after just 39 days and Nuno Espirito Santo sacked three matches into the campaign. Dyche’s exit makes it four managerial changes in less than six months, a level of instability that has drawn growing criticism of the club’s ownership.

Off the pitch, Forest remain active in Europe, having reached the Europa League knockout phase. They face Fenerbahce later this month for a place in the last 16, offering a rare bright spot in an otherwise deeply troubled campaign.

After finishing seventh last season and spending heavily in the transfer market, Forest had ambitions of pushing towards European qualification once again. Instead, they find themselves battling relegation and scrambling to appoint yet another manager, with Pereira now at the top of their shortlist.