We spoke to Nottingham Live reporter Sarah Clapson as Liverpool hope to flatten Forest's new manager bounce
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson crosses during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers at City Ground on February 11, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson has had a stellar season and will face Liverpool at the City Ground on Sunday.(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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The Reds spread the love with a fourth win in five in all competitions against Brighton on Valentine's Day, but it remains just two in five in the league for a Liverpool side languishing in sixth.
Arne Slot's side need to start consistently picking up points if they are to salvage what's left of the Premier League season and secure Champions League football for another year, but their next game sees them make the trip to a Nottingham Forest side looking over their shoulder towards the relegation zone.
Forest's 0-0 draw with bottom feeders Wolverhampton Wanderers last week was the final nail in Sean Dyche's coffin, with mercurial owner Evangelos Marinakis pulling the trigger and replacing the former Everton boss with ex-Wolves manager Vitor Pereira.
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Pereira saved the West Midlands side from relegation last season but was sacked after a disastrous start to the new campaign in which Wolves only collected two points from their first 10 games.
His start to life at the City Ground has been explosive, however, with Forest romping to a 3-0 victory against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday night.
With Forest in 17th and just three points above the drop, the pressure is on both sides to pick up three points. The ECHO spoke to intrepid Nottinghamshire Live reporter Sarah Clapson to get the opposition perspective after watching her side triumph in Turkey.
Let's not beat about the bush - four managers in one season is unprecedented. Are you backing Marinakis or do questions need to be asked?
No one at Forest would suggest having four managers in one season is ideal. But if you take each of the sackings individually, there are specific reasons around each one.
Behind the scenes factors and his outspoken comments in a couple of press conferences did for Nuno Espirito Santo. Ange Postecoglou was the wrong appointment - as he has now admitted himself - and you could argue Marinakis acted swiftly to correct that.
Sean Dyche was seen as a safe pair of hands. Initially, it seemed as though that would prove to be the case but recent results and performances left Forest staring down the barrel of relegation.
It was only one game, and Forest will certainly not be getting carried away, but how they played against Fenerbahce on Thursday night showed the right call was made to replace Dyche. There is still a lot of work to be done in the Premier League, and whether Vitor Pereira gets the club over the survival line remains to be seen, but Forest will now approach that challenge with optimism and positivity.
Even before Thursday, plenty of Forest fans would have argued the club have a better chance of staying up with Pereira than had Dyche stayed in charge.
The season has been a mess, though. It can still be rescued but being in this position in the first place comes with a sense of frustration for Forest as there was such excitement about what this term might hold.
Could you have foreseen being in this position at the start of the season? What's gone wrong?
It was clear all was not well with Nuno at Forest as pre-season started. But going back to the end of last season, it was almost unthinkable the campaign would pan out like this.
After finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe for the first time in three decades, this season was supposed to be about using that platform as a springboard. No one thought it was going to be easy and replicating the 2024/25 campaign was always going to be a huge challenge - particularly with the addition of European fixtures - but a relegation battle was certainly not what was expected.
To build on last season, Forest needed stability. Clearly, with four managers, they have not had that. Add in the fact there are question marks over Edu's involvement since his appointment in the summer, along with a number of the summer signings not making the desired impact and you end up with Forest being where they are.
Was change the only option or do you have any residual concerns that Sean Dyche may have been the best bet to avoid the drop?
Anyone who has watched Forest in recent weeks - prior to Thursday - would find it difficult to argue Forest had more of a chance of staying up had they stuck with Dyche. Forest were going backwards.
He oversaw some fine results early on in his tenure, but two points from the games against Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers was pretty damning. Performances had been poor, too.
Overall, the questions against him were stacking up - from team selections to tactics and most other things in between.
Who are Forest's key players this season?
Elliot Anderson has been one of the standout players of the season. His form was a bit patchy at times under Dyche, but his quality has never been in doubt - as he demonstrated against Fenerbahce.
Ibrahim Sangare, alongside him in midfield, is key for Forest, too. The pair of them get through a lot of work and can make Forest tick.
The same applies to Morgan Gibbs-White. He hasn’t necessarily had a vintage campaign, but he has the ability to pop up when Forest need him.
Elliot Anderson has been linked with a lot of top clubs in search of a No.6 - but what is his best position?
That's one of the great things about him, he has so many strings to his bow he can play in many different positions. Having Sangare alongside him allows him to get forward and get involved at the top end of the pitch as a No.8, but he could pretty much play anywhere. He'd probably do a job in goal, if needed!
The exciting thing is he can get even better as there is room for improvement. There is no doubt he is going all the way to the top, though. He is some player.
Vitor Pereira got off to a great start against Fenerbahce, dominating despite having less possession. Do you think he'll go for a similar game plan against Liverpool?
Pereira made a real statement by naming a strong line-up on Thursday night. It would have been easy for him to rest some players with Sunday in mind.
In that sense, he backed up his words with actions. He said he was going there to win, and he proved it by naming pretty much a first-choice XI. It was a strong performance, too, with Forest positive and on the front foot from the off.
It will be a completely different test against Liverpool, of course, but Pereira will want to build on Thursday's display. He will want to get off to a good start in the league, especially being at home, but defensive discipline will also be important.
Where will the key battles take place this weekend?
Midfield will be a key battleground, I think. As mentioned, Sangare and Anderson have been working well together so they will be looking to give Forest a foothold in the game.
After that, it will be about whether Forest are able to make the most of any chances that come their way. That was a problem under Dyche, but Thursday's win should have boosted players' confidence no end.
What's your score prediction?
Forest have generally been able to get themselves up for games against the bigger clubs this season and Pereira will be eager to make a positive start in the league. I'll go 1-1.