"Nobody wants to get divorced" - Glasner on the match against Forest
Why it matters
Oliver Glasner's arrival at Nottingham Forest marks a crucial attempt to stabilize a team that has seen high manager turnover. On a three-year contract, Glasner is expected to bring the club back to competing for trophies, an ambitious goal considering their recent difficulties. His experience, including leading Crystal Palace to significant success, could prove crucial to the club's future in the Premier League.
Context
Oliver Glasner, after achieving success with Crystal Palace, is now in charge of Nottingham Forest, a club that has struggled to find stability. His experience in the Premier League will be essential to face the challenges that await him, especially in a context where the pressure to achieve results is high.
Key points
- "Nobody wants to get divorced" - Glasner on the match against Forest.
- Oliver Glasner is the new manager of Nottingham Forest, a club that has changed technical leadership often in recent months.
- 'Nobody wants to get divorced' - Glasner on Forest challenge - Yahoo Sports.
Nottingham Forest's new manager Oliver Glasner joked about his sunburn as he sat at the City Ground. The affable Austrian - facing the press for the first time as Forest manager - was a little red in the face after sunbathing during Tuesday's training session. If this is the worst thing that happens to him in the next twelve months, he will have had a successful season. His was the fourth announcement of a new Nottingham Forest manager since last September. The new coach, who signed a three-year contract, was called to the club to guarantee trophies and stability. Having guided Crystal Palace to the FA Cup and Europa Conference League in the last two seasons before stepping down in May, he arrives with the winning pedigree that owner Evangelos Marinakis demands. But after the carousel of managers at Nottingham Forest over the last twelve months, was taking this job a risk? "I never sign a contract thinking that I will be released." Behind the same table, Nuno Espirito Santo had started the tour when he revealed last summer that he had had a breakdown in relations with the club's management. Ange Postecoglou didn't even have time to hold a closing press conference after the match, as he was sacked after 39 days at the club, following a horrendous defeat against Chelsea. Sean Dyche remained in charge of Forest for 114 days. His replacement, Vitor Pereira, was informed that his contract would be terminated just two minutes before a clause allowing Forest to terminate the deal expired in June. Why, then, was it a risk for Glasner not to accept this assignment? "Nobody wants to get divorced. I don't know what it's like in England, but in Austria the divorce rate is 50%." The coach replied. "So when you ask a couple at the wedding, they would say 'no, we won't do that' but it happens. Every club wants to have the same manager for ten years, to have the same players for as long as possible, but this is not the real world, for different reasons, for different plans in your life. We, when we spoke, this is why we wanted a three-year contract. We said, 'ok, we want stability and consistency', because this is what the owner and I believe in, this is the foundation of success. We hope that this is the beginning of such a journey." An end-of-season study by the League Managers Association revealed that the average tenure of a sacked manager in the Premier League was less than a year, compared to more than three years as the average tenure in the Premier League until the 2021-22 season. In the other English leagues, 43 managers have been sacked, an increase of 2% compared to the previous season, and there have been 65 changes in the teams' bench, an increase of 12%, but for Glasner this is not something to reflect on. "Last year, in Cyprus, all fourteen top division teams changed coaches. I don't think about these things," said the 51-year-old. "I don't sign a contract thinking I'm going to be fired. I think, 'Okay, what do we need to do to be successful?'" But what will Glasner's Nottingham Forest play like? When Glasner took charge of Crystal Palace in February 2024, the Londoners were fifteenth in the table, having lost ten of their previous seventeen matches under Roy Hodgson. At the end of the season, however, Palace finished in tenth place, winning six of their last seven matches, also beating the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa. Glasner made use of a three-back formation, something he had already used successfully at Eintracht Frankfurt, but did not promise to adopt the same system at Forest. "We don't want to be a copy of Crystal Palace," he said. "Habits and mechanisms are important, both in the attacking and defensive phases, the spirit that is created, creating a shared way of playing and an understanding of what we want to do. I told the players that I don't know if we will play with three defenders or with four, we have to find the players who feel most comfortable and it is important that they all play in their best role. We have to get to know each other better as a team and find the right system, but the mechanisms and habits will be the same as previous teams." However, it appears that Glasner has the right players available for his system. Ola Aina and Neco Williams are perfect as wing backs, while Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic and Morato are the experienced options at centre-back. Zach Abbott is a young player with great prospects, but still without experience in the top flight. Last season, Nottingham Forest used the three-back formation very little; indeed, the coaches who succeeded one another on the Forest bench almost never proposed that system of play. In attack, Glasner inherited from Crystal Palace a unit made up of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise. At Nottingham Forest, however, he will have Chris Wood, Igor Jesus, Omari Hutchinson, Dan Nodye and Dilane Bakwa at his disposal. Added to these are Morgan Gibbs-White and James McAtee, for a total of players who seem to adapt perfectly to Glasner's way of playing. Glasner's Nottingham Forest are expected to attack faster. Crystal Palace's team recorded the highest attacking speed in the Premier League last season, with 2.00 m/s, while Nottingham Forest ranked thirteenth in this particular statistic, with 1.80 m/s. Although Forest scored more goals and took more shots than Crystal Palace, the two teams had different problems: Palace created good scoring chances, but failed to finish them, finishing the season with -17 xG, while Nottingham Forest created fewer good scoring chances, with only Burnley and Tottenham doing worse in this statistic. Furthermore, last season's Nottingham Forest made too high a percentage of backward passes, a whopping 17.1% of their total, while Glasner's Crystal Palace recorded the lowest percentage in the Premier League, with just 14% of their 14,920 passes being backward passes. In short, there will be a clear change in Nottingham Forest's style of play. The team completed 628 crosses last season, the second-highest total in the Premier League, while Glasner's Crystal Palace managed just 417, the third-lowest total in the division. Glasner's team also didn't expend much energy in the opposition's defensive third: Palace recorded 500 fewer passes than Nottingham Forest last season, but Crystal Palace's passes into the opposition's defensive third were all passes aimed at creating scoring chances. In short, we expect a clear change in philosophy in Nottingham Forest's way of attacking. As for the transfer market, there won't be a spending spree like last summer, when Nottingham Forest bought thirteen players for a total of 180 million pounds. We have already started to see some incoming movements, such as the purchase of Nicolas Dominguez, who took the number eight left vacant by Elliot Anderson, who moved to Manchester City in the summer for a record fee. Nottingham Forest are looking for another midfielder, and are also looking for a goalkeeper who can second Matt Sels, as both Stefan Ortega and Angus Gunn have left the club. A striker is also deemed necessary, as Chris Wood, who turns 35 in December, and Igor Jesus, who performed well in his season as a reserve, need further help.
What happens now
Glasner will face the challenge of building a competitive team in the Premier League, starting with a squad that includes players such as Ola Aina and Neco Williams. His ability to manage the group and create cohesion will be key to improving Nottingham Forest's performances. The next matches will be crucial to test his strategies and to establish a clear gaming identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the new manager of Nottingham Forest?
The new manager of Nottingham Forest is Oliver Glasner.
Why was Oliver Glasner chosen as manager of Nottingham Forest?
Oliver Glasner was chosen to ensure trophies and stability for the club, having a proven winning track record with Crystal Palace.
What did Oliver Glasner say during his first press conference?
Oliver Glasner joked about his sunburn and said that if this is the worst thing to happen to him in the next twelve months, he will have had a successful season.
How many managers has Nottingham Forest had in the last year?
Nottingham Forest have had four managers in the last year.
How long is Oliver Glasner's contract with Nottingham Forest?
Oliver Glasner has signed a three-year contract with Nottingham Forest.
