Glasner defends his outbursts after Forest defeat

Oliver Glasner says his outbursts after Nottingham Forest’s defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium were intended positively: to shake things up and bring about change. Forest were 19th in the league after that defeat. The head coach had two heated exchanges, first in an interview with Sky Sports and then at his post-match press conference.

“We have to accept it’s not good enough,” he said. Glasner noted that Forest had lost four of their last five games and said it was time to change some things, including the way he himself acted. He also pointed out that Nottingham Forest had won only once this season.

The coach said he wanted to move away from what he saw as a repetitive message after defeats: starting well, playing well, missing chances, making mistakes and losing, then moving on to the following week. “If I feel I need to shake things up, then I will. If I feel I need to keep quiet, then I will,” he said. In his view, repeating the same explanations risked leaving the group in the same position.

Glasner stressed that his remarks were not intended to punish a player. He described them as a way to make clear what needed to improve, especially the results. “The intention is to change something and get better results,” he said, defending an approach he regards as constructive. He also said he had not attacked anyone directly: players and staff, in his view, share the aim of winning and doing better.

Asked about the group’s response since his outbursts, the coach described a good week of training, which he presented as the consequence he had hoped for. Ahead of this weekend’s match against Manchester City, live on Sky Sports, he said he hoped everyone would keep working to improve results.

He did not detail the changes he had seen in training, instead replying: “It’s like Las Vegas: what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.” Glasner also said he wanted to build a culture in which players want to commit and work hard. He wants neither an atmosphere of constant relaxation nor military discipline, but a balance that encourages motivation and dialogue with the players.