Oliver Glasner is preparing for an emotional return to Selhurst Park when Nottingham Forest visit Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 BST.
The Forest manager described his more than two years with the Eagles as a highly successful period of his life. He said he retains excellent memories of Palace’s supporters, staff and the time he spent at the club, and expects to exchange embraces with members of the Eagles’ team before and after the match.
Glasner explained that his move to Forest was not a choice between the two clubs. When the time came to consider renewing his Palace contract, he decided against it for several reasons. He later reflected on whether he could continue working at Palace in the way he wanted, using his own strengths and qualities, before taking the Forest job.
On the pitch, Glasner expects a closely contested game. He acknowledged that both sides may understand where the other can be exposed, but stressed that identifying weaknesses in theory is different from exploiting them during the match.
Forest will be without Nikola Milenkovic, who has a bone bruise, while Igor Jesus is expected to miss several weeks with a calf muscle injury. Neco Williams returned from international duty in good condition and trained, but subsequently developed a fever, leaving his availability uncertain.
Glasner also admitted that he is unhappy with Forest’s points total and league position, insisting that the club must respond by examining the facts and making better use of its opportunities.
