Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner has issued a stark warning regarding his future at the City Ground, suggesting he could become the club’s sixth managerial departure in just over a year if the team’s performance does not see an immediate turnaround. Following a 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, the former Crystal Palace manager admitted that his period of compromise is over as he prepares to enforce a stricter regime to save the team from their current struggles. A year ago, Sean Dyche was less than a fortnight into his spell as Forest’s head coach. Before Dyche, there was Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou. According to speaking after Forest’s 2-0 loss at Brentford on Saturday, Glasner, He felt he had made too many compromises during his tenure so far. Then I guess then the sixth manager will come in, and if they don’t want to follow. The defence, then we are down, he added: “We are making too many mistakes. We are slow, making the same mistakes, always different players. When the joint-efforts of Santo, Postecoglou and Dyche also registered a sole win, glasner has only recorded one win in Forest’s first nine league games this term – the same as 12 months ago. The summer appointment of Glasner following his exit from Selhurst Park was perhaps a surprising one. The Austrian left Palace as the club’s most successful manager after winning the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League in the space of 12 months. There is a genuine debate over whether Forest have not been good enough, or whether they have been on the wrong end of some close games, depending on what metrics you look at. Their expected goals (xG) tally of 0.85 was almost double that of the hosts’ (0.46), against Brentford. But with a sole goal to his name, 48 players have more league goals than him this term.
The defeat to Brentford—a side that had failed to win any of their previous four fixtures—leaves Forest sitting 19th in the Premier League table. With a challenging meeting against league leaders Manchester City approaching next weekend, the Reds find themselves only a single point above the bottom of the division. Their recent form is particularly concerning, with only a 1-1 draw against Ipswich to show from their last five league appearances. And by their own recent standards, loyalty has so far remained, it did however show ambition from the East Midlands side.
Managerial Context and Salary Information
- Current Situation: Glasner is considered safe for the moment, though he is under pressure to improve results.
- Contractual Standing: The head coach is roughly four months into a three-year contract.
- Estimated Earnings: Multiple sources have indicated that Glasner’s annual salary at the City Ground is approximately £10m.
- Strategic Shift: Glasner has committed to changing his management style, jokingly noting to Radio 5 Live that he started by “hugging” players but will now pivot to the opposite approach if that fails to yield results.
Reflecting on the loss to the Bees, Glasner expressed frustration with the team’s lack of ruthlessness and defensive errors.
Neither team managed a shot on target until Igor Thiago secured a goal for Brentford in the 76th minute, which followed an own goal from Nikola Milenkovic. Forest only registered their sole shot on target after falling two goals behind. Glasner emphasized that the status quo is untenable, stating, “The only way is to change it or these things will happen again. That’s what we will do.” And I will change a few things, 100%, i have to change a few things.
The offensive struggles remain a persistent theme for Forest, who have failed to score in five of their nine Premier League matches this season. Despite the team ranking fourth in the league for expected goals (14.33), they have only managed to net six goals, marking them as the division’s lowest scorers. Furthermore, the club relies heavily on long-range shooting, placing them second only to Manchester United for the most attempts per game. It has been a familiar tale throughout this season.
A significant portion of the goal-scoring burden has fallen on summer signing Liam Delap, who arrived from Chelsea in a £50m deal.
While Delap ranks eighth in the league for shots taken with 24 attempts, he has only converted once across eight appearances.
This disparity highlights a wider issue of finishing efficiency that has plagued the club’s campaign, leaving Glasner to demand more accountability from his squad.
He warned that if individuals do not follow the new clear path he is setting, the club will inevitably look to make a sixth managerial change.
Important Details
- According to we start with hugging,” Glasner, Radio 5 Live. “If hugging doesn’t work, we try the opposite.
