Exactly what Vitor Pereira said about Everton job in the past as Nottingham Forest appointment nears
Things could have panned out completely differently for Everton in recent years.
Following a poor start to the 2021-22 campaign under Rafael Benitez, Everton were heavily linked with a move for future Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, who is now set to join Nottingham Forest as they battle for survival.
Everton fans made their voices heard as talks commenced between the club and the Portuguese coach, urging the appointment of Frank Lampard instead, who would keep the Toffees in the Premier League towards the end of the season.
Pereira would join relegation-threatened Wolves in December 2024, and achieve the goal of safety, before he was sacked in the first half of the current campaign – setting in the rut that sees the Black Country outfit carry just nine points with them after 26 matches.
With a move to Forest near, following the sacking of former Everton boss Sean Dyche, it is an apt time to look back on what exactly went down during the 2022 hunt, and just how different Everton’s future could have looked as they prepared to make the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Vitor Pereira on critics ahead of proposed Everton move
Before 2022, Pereira had taken posts at 10 clubs across Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Turkey, Germany and China – the latter being with Shanghai SIPG, where he would spend three years, the longest stint of his career.
He was considered by Everton back in 2013 before the appointment of Roberto Martinez, after Pereira had won the Portuguese title twice on the bounce with Porto. Like the 2022 switch though, this never manifested.
Speaking to Sky Sports before Lampard’s eventual arrival, Pereira said: “I had a few interviews – not just one. More than one interview with different people at the club. We discussed everything. I discussed with different people in the club and on the board.”
Though, his CV and journey across six different countries left a sour taste in the mouth of Everton fans, who made their thoughts loud and clear at the time.
“They don’t know me very well. They don’t know my work, they don’t know me as a person, they don’t know my CV,” said Pereira.
“I worked in a lot of different countries – different clubs, different levels. We got several titles. Before you know the person, you cannot judge. But I understand the feeling of the supporters because the last years the club hasn’t had good results, and it’s normal that they are not happy.”
The move would not materialise, despite Pereira outlining that Everton were: “Enthusiastic about what I proposed to them: an intensive game, a pressing game, a game with possession.”
The move would not materialise, with Lampard joining the club ahead of a dramatic end to the season.
Pereira would get his move to England in the end, where things went sour after a great start.
- Read more: Why Everton seem an anomaly as Premier League mistakes continue to stockpile against them
Vitor Pereira proved a great firefighter, but with limitations
It is fair to say that a manager of Pereira’s ilk would never have been considered by Wolves if not for the connections between themselves and Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes, who represented both Nuno Espirito Santo and Bruno Lage before him.
At the time of his appointment in the Midlands, the 57-year-old was in charge of Saudi side Al Shabab, after holding roles at Corinthians and Flamengo following the Everton saga.
And in a time of need, he proved the perfect firefighter for Wolves, galvanising the group around the mercurial talents of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri, while they secured survival following a superb six-match winning streak – the Premier League’s second-longest of the year.
“First the points, then the pints,” was the motto, as Pereira made himself at home straight away when it came to sampling what Wolverhampton has to offer.
Wolves would secure their Premier League future for another year, but that would be it: another year.
As of now, the Old Gold are rock bottom of the Premier League with just nine points from their opening 26 matches.
Wolves would bring in almost £100 million worth of talent last summer, who have failed to hit the ground running at Molineux, while Pereira would lose his job in November after picking up just two points from the opening 10 matches.
In the case of Everton, they may well have secured survival under Pereira, who has proven himself as a capable firefighter in the Premier League, anything more than that though is questionable.
But then again, what can be expected of a manager who has taken charge of 14 clubs since 2004?