adminNottingham Forest could soon find themselves shifting focus from simply holding on to their top stars to strengthening the squad even further, according to club legend Stuart Pearce.
Manager Vitor Pereira is currently balancing two major priorities — ensuring Forest remain in the Premier League next season while also preparing for a crucial Europa League quarter-final clash against Porto.
The Reds will travel to Portugal for the first leg on Thursday, April 9, before hosting the return fixture at the City Ground a week later. In between those ties, they face a pivotal Premier League showdown with fellow European hopefuls Aston Villa, making this stretch of the season decisive on multiple fronts.
Forest’s campaign could swing in several directions. Relegation remains a threat, but so does the possibility of securing a Champions League spot. The outcome of the coming weeks will also influence whether the club can keep key players like Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Murillo.
Pearce believes that success in Europe could completely change the club’s outlook. Instead of worrying about selling their best talents, Forest may need to invest heavily in top-quality players to compete at a higher level.
He highlighted how qualifying for the Champions League would demand major reinforcements, warning that without added depth and quality, the team could struggle against elite opposition. Still, he praised Forest’s progress, noting their remarkable rise after spending over two decades outside the top flight and now competing at the quarter-final stage in Europe.
However, Pearce expressed concerns about consistency, pointing out that Forest have performed better in Europe than in the Premier League. He also questioned whether the squad has enough attacking firepower to go all the way in the competition.
Pereira, who is the club’s fourth manager this season following Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and Sean Dyche, has had a mixed start. He has recorded three wins and four losses in nine matches, with just one victory coming in the Premier League.
That win, against Tottenham Hotspur, significantly boosted Forest’s survival hopes. According to Pearce, if Pereira manages to keep the club in the Premier League and guide them beyond the Europa League quarter-finals, he will have earned the opportunity to see out the remainder of his contract.
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