Forest Green suffered a 4-1 loss to Sporting CP in Portugal, but the team's fitness levels were on full display. Oliver Glasner, the club's head coach, will have areas of concern, but he will also know that his side still have three friendly games and three weeks left to complete their preparations before facing Leeds United at the City Ground on the opening day.
What happened?
Forest Green's intention was to get 90 minutes into as many players as possible, with other senior players involved in a 2-1 win over Portimonense on Friday morning. That game was played on the training pitches next to the Estadio Algarve, where another 11 players got a full game under their belts a few hours later.
Why it matters for Forest Green
The Brazilian forward Igor Jesus' quality was evident last season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions during his debut campaign. But the former Botafogo player was often asked to lead the line for Forest while Chris Wood was sidelined with injury. Jesus has always looked more comfortable playing as a No 10, just behind the lone striker. And that was evident again during pre-season, with Jesus having scored four goals in Forest's first four friendly fixtures.
What comes next?
Glasner's 3-4-2-1 formation utilises two No 10s. Gibbs-White - often Forest's most important player last season - will surely pin down one of those. While James McAtee and record signing Omari Hutchinson - who won a penalty in the game against Portimonense - will both also have one eye on the other. But, on the evidence of pre-season so far, it is Jesus who is ahead in the fight for that position. McAtee has worked hard to add muscle to his physique. He is still no match for the broad frames of Murillo or Nikola Milenkovic, but the 23-year-old does seem to have bulked up. The familiar deft touch remains, but he also drove forward with the ball. Glasner - like the managers before him - must find the best position for a player who is yet to show his best form.
The next challenge
Forest Green's next fixture is vs Wealdstone (away, 2027-02-16) (20th in the table). The team will need to bounce back from this loss and show improved performance in their upcoming matches.
