Vitor Pereira’s infamous Sky Sports plea to Everton fans revisited as he nears Nottingham Forest job

Dyche lost the Forest dressing room

Reports following Sean Dyche’s dismissal suggest the former Everton boss had lost the trust and confidence of the Nottingham Forest squad, with frustration mounting over both his public comments and tactical choices.

Forest are now set to turn to Vitor Pereira as Dyche’s replacement, with the Portuguese coach poised to take on the challenge of keeping the club in the Premier League after owner Evangelos Marinakis decided a change was necessary.

Pereira, who was dismissed by Wolves in November, is a familiar name to Everton supporters. Back in 2022, he was interviewed by then-owner Farhad Moshiri as Everton searched for a successor to Rafa Benítez — a move that sparked fierce backlash from fans.

Why Everton fans opposed Pereira — and how he reacted

At the time, Pereira had only recently been sacked by Fenerbahçe, leading many Everton fans to view his potential appointment as uninspiring and risky. Protests quickly followed, with “Pereira out, Lampard in” graffiti appearing around Goodison Park.

Amid the controversy, Pereira addressed the situation in an interview with Sky Sports in January 2022.

“Of course it hurts,” he said. “This was the first time in my career I had experienced something like this. I’ve never had these kinds of comments about me. My CV speaks for itself, but the environment at the club wasn’t good at that moment.

“The supporters have passion, and that passion is the power of the club. I remember watching Everton years ago and seeing how the fans could win games.

Passion in football can be positive or negative. At that moment, a manager’s job is to bring back the positive side. I didn’t take it as a personal attack.”

Moshiri ultimately heeded supporter pressure and appointed Frank Lampard, who guided Everton to a 16th-place finish in the 2021/22 season, ending four points clear of relegation.

No immediate Everton reunion concerns

Should Pereira succeed in stabilising Nottingham Forest, Everton boss David Moyes is unlikely to be affected in the short term.

The Toffees have already faced Forest twice this season, securing a 3-0 victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in early December before following it up with a 2-0 win at the City Ground shortly after Christmas to take maximum points.

However, if Pereira remains in charge beyond this campaign, a future reunion with the Everton fanbase that once opposed his appointment could yet be on the horizon.