The Athletic FC Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Four managers in one season: Inside Forest's chaos
Date: February 12, 2026
Host: Adam Leventhal
Guests: Paul Taylor (Nottingham Forest Correspondent), Nick Miller, Tim Spears

Episode Overview

This episode explores the tumultuous season for Nottingham Forest, who are now seeking their fourth manager of the campaign in a desperate bid to avoid Premier League relegation. Adam Leventhal is joined by Paul Taylor and Nick Miller to dissect Sean Dyche’s recent sacking, the internal chaos at the club, Evangelos Marinakis’ hair-trigger ownership, and the controversial decision to bring back Vitor Pereira as the next manager. Wolves reporter Tim Spears provides insight into what Forest can expect from Pereira after his mixed record at Wolves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Immediate Reaction to Sean Dyche’s Sacking

Timestamps: 02:10 – 04:43

• Forest's Current Situation: Forest sit 17th, only three points above relegation, with poor recent results – notably, a loss to Leeds and a goalless draw with Wolves, which sealed Dyche's fate.
• Paul Taylor (03:12):
  • "Last night didn't really feel like a sacking performance… But it was just the straw that broke the camel's back."
  • Dyche’s downfall was cumulative: disappointing showings versus Leeds, Everton, and most notably, a “dismal display in Braga.”
• Nick Miller (04:43):
  • "Although those results… haven’t really played well in most of those games."
  • Poor performances despite a modest points haul were coupled with discontent among senior players, and other clubs in better form "spooked" Forest into making a change.

2. The Disconnect: Players vs Manager

Timestamps: 06:47 – 09:31

• Player Discontent:
  • Dyche’s relationship with senior players soured; there was "a disconnect," with many unconvinced his style could save them.
• Paul Taylor (07:03):
  • On Dyche’s initial appointment: “He was the perfect tonic for what had gone before…”
  • Yet, now "there’s a sense that there’s a disconnect between him and the players who… haven’t been too impressed with his style of play."
• The haunting prospect: Ex-Forest boss Nuno could relegate them with West Ham.

3. Defining Lowlights: Braga & Squad Management

Timestamps: 08:43 – 15:08

• The Braga Loss as a Turning Point:
  • Paul recounts traveling fans enduring a “rainy, freezing, dismal night” for one of the worst performances in 25 years.
  • "It did feel like a turning point and like a moment where… things perhaps started to unravel for Sean Dyche in Portugal." (Paul Taylor, 09:31)
• Squad unrest: Dyche publicly criticized fringe players after the Wrexham FA Cup loss, further "causing a little bit of unrest in the Forest dressing room."
• Squad Usage Criticized:
  • Dyche made curious lineup and substitution choices, ignoring attacking talents and new signings.
  • "There’s £130 million worth of them on the bench and you’re playing a central midfielder [as a winger]. That’s the sort of thing that is not going to endear him to the fans." (Nick Miller, 13:27)

4. Owner Evangelos Marinakis: The Catalyst for Chaos

Timestamps: 17:35 – 23:33

• Marinakis' Role:
  • Still popular with many fans for his role in Forest's rise but is central to the current chaos:
    • "He is extremely keen to take the credit for things when things are going well… but if you look at the three statements of the three managers that have been sacked this season, Marinakis’ name has been nowhere near those." (Nick Miller, 18:13)
  • His Olympiacos precedent: Has cycled through multiple managers to sometimes successful (if chaotic) effect.
• The Summer's Gamble:
  • Hiring Edu Gaspar as football chief intended as a leap forward but destabilized the club and led to a domino effect of managerial departures.
  • "Ironically, a sense of ambition and a desire to make the club grow has ended up taking them backwards in some senses." (Paul Taylor, 21:45)

5. The Vitor Pereira Gamble

Timestamps: 25:27 – 36:57

• Pereira’s Imminent Arrival:

  • Forest are set to hire ex-Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, who previously worked with Marinakis at Olympiacos.
  • "He could deliver the same kind of new manager bounce at the City Ground… If they’d had new manager bounce with every one of the managers this season, they’d have been bouncing up and down all season, wouldn’t they?” (Paul Taylor, 25:59)

• Tim Spears on Pereira:

  • Pluses: Instigated an instant turnaround at Wolves last year, winning crucial relegation battles.
  • Minuses: This season, Wolves’ dreadful start was under Pereira. He made 31 lineup changes in 10 games and rejected Premier League-proven players for unproven ones – "He had a lot of ideas but… also no ideas." (Tim Spears, 31:50)
  • His tactical success last season came from simplification, not innovation.

• Doubts Remain:

  • Dismal Wolves start under Pereira led to his sacking; Forest risk similar chaos if he cannot steady the ship fast.
  • "If it doesn’t bounce now, it’s never going to bounce. This is the most vital appointment of the season so far." (Paul Taylor, 32:15)

6. Can Forest Still Stay Up?

Timestamps: 33:35 – 38:30

• Nick Miller's Reluctant Optimism:
  • "My instinct… was that Forest was probably just going to be about okay, but now, who knows? I mean, it’s completely up in the air."
  • The hope is that Pereira takes the squad on its merits, using talented players Dyche sidelined.
• Tim Spears:
  • "He did a really good job last year. He immediately came in and he simplified things. He tightened up the defense… There is a template there." (34:56)
• Paul Taylor:
  • The squad core is good enough if the next manager "can get even a vague tune out of the best starting XI," but "with all the number of managers they’ve had… he has to hit the ground running quickly." (36:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul Taylor on Braga:

  • "It was an absolutely torrid night in Portugal… one of the worst I’ve seen watching Forest for more than, you know, two decades." (09:31)

• Nick Miller on Dyche’s squad use:

  • "There’s £130 odd million quids worth of them on the bench and you’re playing a central midfielder there. That’s the sort of thing that is not going to endear him to the fans…" (13:27)

• Tim Spears on Vitor Pereira:

  • "He basically had a lot of ideas, but also no ideas and was just throwing a lot at a wall to see what would stick." (31:50)

• Paul Taylor on the consequences of relegation:

  • "Because of the finances involved, they would have to virtually tear it up and start again... The highest earners would probably have to be sold just to stay the right side of PSR." (32:15)

• Positivity in Pub Recommendations:

  • Nick Miller: "If you’re listening to this Vitor… I can recommend the Trent Navigation just near the City Ground." (37:59)
  • Paul Taylor: "In Wolverhampton he was fond of Wetherspoons… but there are definitely… a few better places around West Bridgeford he could enjoy a beverage or two in if he wanted to celebrate." (38:02)

Key Segment Timestamps

• 02:10 – Episode starts, focus on Forest's predicament
• 03:12 – Paul Taylor on the logic behind Dyche’s sacking
• 04:43 – Nick Miller examines Forest’s performances and senior player unrest
• 09:31 – The Braga game as a defining turning point
• 13:27 – Criticism of Dyche’s squad management and the impact on team morale
• 18:13 – Owner Marinakis' reputation and leadership style
• 21:45 – The summer's failed ambition and ripple effects
• 25:59 – Vitor Pereira's candidacy and hope for a new-manager bounce
• 27:13 – Tim Spears assesses Pereira’s record
• 31:50 – Discussion of Pereira’s failed transfer and selection strategies at Wolves
• 32:15 – The urgency and consequences if this appointment fails
• 33:52 – Nick Miller on Forest’s survival chances
• 34:56 – Tim Spears outlines the tactical template Pereira might use at Forest
• 36:09 – Paul Taylor: Forest’s best hope is a manager who gets the best XI playing
• 37:59 – Light-hearted exchange on pub recommendations for new manager

Conclusion

Forest’s season is emblematic of chaos at the modern football club, where ambition, impatience, and a revolving door policy at the managerial level threaten stability and Premier League survival. All eyes are on Vitor Pereira to see if he can repeat his firefighting from last season at Wolves, or if Forest will pay the ultimate price for their turbulence. The episode ends on a mixture of grim realism and gallows humor, with panelists hoping for some overdue positivity for fans and even pub owners in Nottingham.