According to Vitor Pereira, Nottingham Forest’s recently appointed manager, his exhausted players endured an “exceedingly tough” opening half, attributing their 2-1 loss to tactical missteps during Sunday’s Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Since Pereira’s initial triumph against Fenerbahce in the Europa League, Forest have suffered three consecutive defeats across all tournaments, conceding three goals within the first quarter-hour at the Amex Stadium.
A goal from Morgan Gibbs-White in the 13th minute equalized for Forest momentarily, but Danny Welbeck then netted Brighton’s decisive goal. Brighton had initially taken the lead via Diego Gomez, a result that left the fourth-lowest placed team just two points clear of West Ham.
Forest tactics: Pereira reveals pressing problem
The Portuguese coach stated, “To exert pressure as we intend, vitality is essential,” a comment made three days subsequent to Forest’s home defeat to Fenerbahce in the Europa League, despite their progression to the round of 16 on aggregate.
“We attempted to press with the vigor of a fully charged squad, continuously pushing to regain possession swiftly.”
“Our lesson from the initial period concerned the cue for synchronized pressing. We commenced the match by yielding space that is unacceptable when facing such caliber opponents: both in the channels and across the flanks.”
“They applied pressure, and we struggled to locate suitable areas. During the latter half, we modified our formation, managing the zones both externally and internally.”
“It is imperative we internalize the lessons from the first half and build upon the positive aspects of the second. Should we perform without vigor and allow the game to become expansive across the entire field, it presents a significant challenge. Errors will be made, and rivals will create opportunities.”
The following table displays Forest’s match outcomes during Pereira’s tenure.
| Date | Competition | Opponents | H/A | Result |
| Feb 19 | Europa League knockout phase play-off first leg | Fenerbahce | Away | 3-0 |
| Feb 22 | Premier League | Liverpool | Home | 0-1 |
| Feb 26 | Europa League second leg | Fenerbahce | Home | 1-2 |
| Mar 1 | Premier League | Brighton | Away | 1-2 |
Why is Pereira unhappy with Forest’s press?
Last season, Pereira employed a rigid three-man defense and utilized a mid-block strategy, which was instrumental in revitalizing Wolves’ performance. His squad would strategically await the opposition to initiate an attack before engaging in a press to recover the ball.
The veteran coach, aged 57, guides his athletes to operate within a ‘box’ in the central half-space of the field, a zone where inventive players connect the defensive and offensive lines.
“It’s vital for us to develop a tactical understanding, recognizing when to apply pressure, when to hold back, when to accelerate, and when to retain possession,” Pereira articulated, emphasizing a core tenet of his methodology.
“I am genuinely pleased with my squad’s effort. I have confidence that, with our guidance in structuring and demonstrating the optimal strategy for confronting this type of opponent, they possess the necessary resolve. I cannot contend that we lacked the ambition to secure victory, particularly in the latter period of the match.”
Among those initially rested by Pereira on Thursday were Gibbs-White and forward Igor Jesus. He remarked, “Had I not made alterations in the previous fixture, consider the consequences today.”
Forest are set to undertake a formidable away fixture against Manchester City, commencing a sequence of five games within a three-week span.
Pereira cautioned, “Our focus cannot extend beyond the upcoming City match, as we are uncertain of future developments.”
“Our immediate future lies with City. We aim to deploy more than one tactical setup. Lacking peak energy, we must maintain a compact shape… and strive for organization.”
“When playing a full 90 minutes every third day, individual errors begin to emerge.”
Nottingham Forest team vs Brighton
Forest’s Initial Lineup: Matz Sels, Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Neco Williams, Ibrahim Sangare, Elliot Anderson, Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus
Replacements: Angus Gunn, Taiwo Awoniyi, Dan Ndoye, Nicolas Dominguez, Ryan Yates, Jair Cunha, James McAtee, Luca Netz, Dilane Bakwa
Brighton vs Nottingham Forest
Brighton’s Opening Lineup: Bart Verbruggen, Mats Wieffer, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, Ferdi Kadioglu, James Milner, Pascal Gross, Diego Gomez, Jack Hinshelwood, Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck
Replacements: Jason Steele, Solly March, Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh, Carlos Baleba, Charalampos Kostoulas, Olivier Boscagli, Maxim De Cuyper, Joel Veltman
What’s next for Forest and Brighton? Fixtures, schedule
These two clubs are scheduled to confront the league’s top two sides next, with Forest journeying to second-positioned City and Brighton welcoming table-toppers Arsenal. All times are Greenwich Mean Time.
| Team | Next fixture | Date | Kick-off time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | Man City (A) | Wednesday, March 4 | 19:30 |
| Brighton | Arsenal (H) | Wednesday, March 4 | 19:30 |
How many managers have Forest had this season?
Nuno Espirito Santo commenced the season at the helm of Forest, having led them to compete for Champions League contention in the prior campaign.
Their seventh-place finish secured their spot in the Europa League, as Crystal Palace was relegated to the Conference League following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s affirmation of a UEFA decision regarding a violation of multi-club ownership regulations.
Santo, who subsequently assumed leadership at West Ham, was dismissed in September after a 21-month tenure, stemming from a dispute with Forest’s proprietor, Evangelos Marinakis.
Subsequently, former Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou assumed command, enduring the briefest managerial period in Forest’s history, spanning 39 days without a single victory across his eight games.
Dyche, formerly Everton’s head coach, replaced Postecoglou in October and attained the most impressive win percentage among any of Marinakis’ nine managers since the 2017 acquisition, notably securing qualification for the Europa League knockout stage play-offs.
When Dyche departed after 114 days, Forest occupied ninth place in the six-match form standings. Marinakis’ concluding strategic move was a goalless draw at home against last-place Wolves on Wednesday, a match where they registered 35 shots on goal without scoring—the highest number by a Dyche-managed team in the Premier League.