Glasner’s Frustrated Exit
Oliver Glasner stood in the centre circle after the final whistle and applauded the rapidly emptying City Ground. The 51‑year‑old, in his first Premier League game as Nottingham Forest manager, ended the match with a tone of apology after a 3‑1 loss to Leeds United. He said, “There is no button to press. There are still a lot of things to do.” The match, played on a dark February Friday night at Elland Road, was Forest’s first outing under Glasner and saw the hosts struggle to find rhythm.
A Season of Instability
Forest entered the Premier League last season with four managers in a single campaign. Sean Dyche’s 114‑day reign ended after a 3‑1 defeat to Leeds and a 0‑0 draw with Wolves, and the club had already seen Vitor Pereira and the former Crystal Palace boss in the dugout. Glasner’s appointment was meant to bring order, but the club’s recent transfer activity has not yet translated into a cohesive unit. Of the 13 new players who arrived last summer, and the 21 signed in 2022 after promotion, eight of the starting XI were also in Nuno Espirito Santo’s opening‑day squad against Brentford.
Match Analysis
Forest created more chances than Leeds, with Igor Jesus missing a fine second‑half header and Nikola Milenkovic hitting the post. The structure of Glasner’s width‑based approach was evident, but the lack of new signings in the starting XI left the hosts looking stale. The City Ground struggled to rouse itself as the game proved anti‑climatic. Glasner noted that no new player appeared in the match and that several squad members were not in peak physical shape, citing Murillo’s return three weeks ago after a four‑month injury lay‑off and Chris Wood’s minor issues that caused him to miss two friendlies.
Building for the Future
After a victory in the final friendly against Stade Brest, Glasner said Forest were working on “two or three” deals. He highlighted the need for quality over quantity, mentioning the pursuit of Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is likely to stay in north London. The club is also looking to add fresh faces to complement existing talent such as Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs‑White. Glasner added, “I don’t expect anyone for Tuesday but two more players, two different positions. The club is working hard to get the deals done and that’s it.”
Next Steps
The defeat is a minor setback if the team can recover quickly. Forest will face Leeds again in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, offering a chance to reset. Glasner said, “This defeat always gives me great feedback on how we deal with this situation. We do not bury our heads in the sand, so we are focusing on what we need to do and what we have done well.”
