Oliver Glasner’s challenging start at Nottingham Forest has inevitably invited comparisons with his early months at Crystal Palace, where patience eventually produced a remarkable return. Forest are 19th in the Premier League after taking just one point at home, while they have yet to score at the City Ground.
The Austrian’s first full season at Palace also began slowly. His team won only one of their opening 13 league matches, yet they finished comfortably in mid-table and lifted the FA Cup. Across two full seasons at Selhurst Park, Glasner delivered two major trophies for a club that had gone almost 120 years without one.
That record is central to Forest’s belief that their new manager can change the club’s fortunes. Glasner has a distinctive tactical approach, built around a back three and two No 10s, and Forest are still adapting to those demands. His methods also require time to become established, as shown by the gradual progress he made at Palace.
Glasner brought Daniel Muñoz with him from Selhurst Park, adding a familiar figure to a Forest squad that has otherwise undergone carefully targeted recruitment. The manager’s work at Palace remains the clearest evidence of what Forest hope he can achieve, although his current side have been undermined by poor finishing despite creating promising opportunities.
Forest’s chief football officer George Syrianos has been described as Glasner’s biggest advocate and has told supporters that the manager will be given time. That patience may be tested quickly, with Glasner approaching his eighth Premier League match in charge, but his Palace experience provides Forest with a reason to believe that an unconvincing opening does not have to define his tenure.
