This is the main issue Vitor Pereira MUST fix at Nottingham Forest – and why an impressive answer at his unveiling suggests he’s the man to do it, writes TOM COLLOMOSSE

Vitor Pereira has accepted his second job as a Premier League coach knowing the spotlight is shining even more brightly on his players than it is on him.

Having been sacked by Wolves in November after a disastrous start to the season, Pereira knows his reputation will take another hit if he cannot keep Nottingham Forest out of the Championship. As the club’s record fourth manager this season, that is his only brief.

He inherits a squad of players who seem to have become a little big for their boots. Player power was at least partly responsible for the demise of Ange Postecoglou and then Sean Dyche. 

And if they believe their own reputations would be unaffected by relegation, they need only look across the East Midlands at what has happened to Leicester.

When the Foxes were relegated three years ago, many questioned the attitude of the players. 

Though a handful of stars like James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans moved to top-flight clubs, many had to scrap their way out of the Championship the following season, only to suffer instant relegation when they returned to the Premier League. 

The Portuguese has a simple brief: to keep Forest in the Premier League. But he will have to get Forest’s best players on side to achieve that

Every player in that squad still has a blot on his copybook because of the shameful 2022-23 campaign.

Among the Forest squad, Elliot Anderson and Murillo will have plenty of takers this summer and will surely leave, regardless of which division they are in. For the others – yes, even Morgan Gibbs-White – it may not be so easy. 

Gibbs-White is the highest-paid player in the history of the club and Evangelos Marinakis is unlikely to make it easy for him to depart.

While nobody could see Gibbs-White spending next season in the Championship, it would be no surprise if the Forest hierarchy made him sweat it out until the end of August.

The chances of that would increase if they had already squared the books by selling Anderson and Murillo before the June 30 cut-off point.

The same applies to others who consider themselves established top-tier players – Neco Williams, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Matz Sels. That is before you even consider the £200million Forest spent on new players last summer.

England midfielder Elliot Anderson is among the Forest stars Pereira will have to get performing at their best

Even players like Morgan Gibbs-White might have to wait for a move if Forest are relegated

Into this delicate situation walks Pereira. This is the 15th club of the Portuguese coach’s career, and Forest need him to have an immediate impact.

In his first public appearance as Forest boss, Pereira handled this issue well. On the one hand, he promised to make every player feel involved and sympathised with their difficulties. On the other, he knows the time for excuses is running out.

‘If you buy the idea of the manager, it’s a good step,’ he said. ‘If you don’t buy it, it’s a big problem. You must also buy the personality.

‘If you buy the idea and the person, have an open mind to receive information and to work hard together, it’s possible to achieve what we want.

‘I cannot change a lot, because in a short time it’s a mistake to try – but with clear ideas and good communication we can do it. I believe in leadership, but with honesty and good communication.

‘If they recognise I am honest with them, it’s important. I want to create a game where they feel they’re important. Now, everybody must be ready to help the team.’

‘I cannot change a lot, because in a short time it’s a mistake to try,’ says former Wolves boss Pereira. ‘But with clear ideas and good communication we can do it’

It starts against Fenerbahce – where Pereira had two spells – before Liverpool visit the City Ground on Sunday. Then it will be Fenerbahce at home and a trip to Brighton three days later.

Apart from the obvious tactical issues, some of these players were miffed with Postecoglou because they felt he had overlooked their achievements in qualifying for Europe last season. Others felt Dyche’s ideas stifled their natural talent.

The squad believe they are better players than the league table suggests. Pereira seems to agree with them, admitting that last summer he never expected Forest to struggle like this.

Now they must all do the hard part. Prove it.