Nottingham Forest’s slow start puts Glasner and Delap under early pressure

Nottingham Forest’s false start has already put Oliver Glasner and Liam Delap at the centre of attention. The club have yet to score at home and have only one point at the City Ground, a return that falls short of expectations surrounding the arrival of the coach and striker.

Forest chose Glasner after dismissing Vítor Pereira, who had helped steer the team away from relegation. The club hoped the new coach could replicate at Crystal Palace the transformation he had achieved there. The start to the season has given that expectation added weight. Delap’s return to Ipswich on Friday night is also approaching.

Glasner acknowledged that Nottingham Forest have only five points and that nobody at the club can be satisfied with their position. “Nobody is pleased with this. Nobody is satisfied: no players, no staff, no one in the leadership,” he said. He nevertheless believes the effort and performances remain visible within the club. Asked about the start to the campaign, he also said: “We don’t need to have discussions about it, because it’s pretty obvious where we are.”

Adapting to Glasner’s approach is another challenge. His system requires the team to get used to different principles, including a back three and two number 10s. Forest must also adjust to the departure of Elliot Anderson. Replacing him became a priority, but Glasner believed James McAtee could take a deeper midfield role alongside Xaver Schlager, who arrived on a free transfer. Ousmane Diomande was an important defensive addition, while Daniel Muñoz followed Glasner from Selhurst Park.

The home attacking figures underline the urgency: Forest have had 62 shots without scoring. Glasner knows that record needs to change quickly if he is to win over the supporters. His first full season at Palace, however, shows that a difficult opening does not rule out a recovery: the team won only one of its first 13 league matches, before finishing in mid-table and winning the FA Cup.

Glasner admitted that the team still had areas to address, while judging that its performance had been very good in many parts. Club figure Syrianos, meanwhile, told supporters that the coach would be given time. Forest’s immediate task is to turn the effort Glasner has described into results, with the lack of home goals already weighing on the campaign.