Nottingham Forest are set for another change in the dugout, with Vitor Pereira poised to leave and Oliver Glasner lined up as his successor. BBC Sport reported that a deal to appoint the Austrian is virtually done, with only formalities left. If it goes through, Forest will be on their fifth manager in 12 months.

There is still a split in how far the process has actually gone. BBC Sport and Fabrizio Romano have described Pereira as heading for the exit, while a GIVEMESPORT report said Forest sent him an email at 23:58 on June 30 to confirm termination of his contract. The picture is clear enough even if the final wording is not: Forest are changing manager again.

Pereira's exit is being reported with slightly different language

Romano, via Sports Mole, said there has been "movement behind the scenes" that could lead to the exit of the Portuguese. BBC Sport went further on the incoming side, reporting: "BBC Sport understands a deal to appoint the Austrian is virtually done with just the formalities left to complete."

That leaves a narrow but important gap between sources. Some are treating Pereira as a manager on the verge of leaving, others are describing a much more advanced process. The practical reading is that Forest have already moved beyond backing him, even if the club's formal steps are being reported in different terms.

The timing only sharpens the sense of disorder. The email reported to have been sent at 23:58 on June 30 is a very specific detail, and it fits a club making another abrupt call rather than easing into a planned transition. Forest have done this often enough now that surprise barely enters it.

Their league position does not make the decision hard to understand. Forest finished 16th in the Premier League context given here, with 44 points from 38 matches, and their last five league games brought two wins, two draws and one defeat. That is mixed form, not collapse, but it is also not the kind of platform that usually buys a manager much time at a volatile club.

Glasner is the next move, not just a name on a shortlist

Glasner is not being discussed as one option among many. He is being reported as the expected appointment. Forest are set to turn to the former Crystal Palace boss after his exit at the end of last season, and the tone around the move suggests the club see it as a statement.

A GIVEMESPORT source put it plainly: "Forest will see it as a major coup that they are able to attract a manager of his calibre to the club." That feels slightly grander than Forest's current position, but it also explains the speed. Clubs do not move like this unless they think a higher-end replacement is genuinely available.

Glasner's recent numbers with Palace are hardly overwhelming in isolation, 15th place and 45 points, only one point better than Forest's 44. Still, Forest are not hiring a league table on its own. They are betting on the coach behind it and on the idea that his stock remains strong despite that finish.

The wider problem is that Forest keep resetting before any long-term line can hold. Nuno Espirito Santo came and went. Pereira now looks to be on the same path. A club cannot keep talking about building while changing the manager for a fifth time in a year.

The instability reaches beyond the dugout

The churn is not only about the head coach. Elliot Anderson is also part of the uncertainty around the squad. He posted a 9 rating in his penultimate league appearance for Forest, a reminder that player quality is not the only issue at the City Ground when the structure around it keeps moving.

Anderson's season data in the material available is limited to 3 all-competitions appearances, so it would be wrong to stretch that into a wider verdict on his campaign. The more useful point is narrower: when a club keeps changing direction, even its brighter individual moments struggle to settle into anything lasting.

Manchester City are only relevant here as a measure of the standard at the top of the division, not as part of Forest's immediate story. Forest's fight has been lower down the table, and a 16th-place finish is the backdrop to this decision.

The next concrete step is the completion of the formalities around Glasner's move. Forest have already made the bigger call, which is to rip up the plan again and start over.

FAQ

Is Vitor Pereira still Nottingham Forest manager?

The reporting points in one direction, Pereira is poised to leave, but the wording still stops short of saying the process is fully completed. BBC Sport and Fabrizio Romano both indicated movement toward an exit, while another report said Forest sent him an email at 23:58 on June 30 to confirm termination of his contract.

Are Nottingham Forest appointing Oliver Glasner?

Forest are set to appoint Oliver Glasner, but the move is still being described as imminent rather than formally completed. BBC Sport reported that a deal for the Austrian is virtually done, with only formalities left, and other reporting has framed him as the expected successor to Pereira.

Why are Nottingham Forest changing manager again?

The scale of the reset is a big part of the story. Forest finished 16th in the Premier League with 44 points from 38 matches and this would be their fifth manager in 12 months. Even with two wins, two draws and one defeat in the last five league games, the club appear ready to change course again.

What would Oliver Glasner bring to Nottingham Forest?

Forest are targeting a coach who has just left Crystal Palace and arrives with a stronger recent profile than the club's league position alone suggests. Palace finished 15th with 45 points, and the move is being presented by club-source reporting as a major coup because of Glasner's standing.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →