Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner
Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner (Image: PA)
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Head coach Oliver Glasner is setting his sights on reaching the Champions League with Nottingham Forest.
It has been an inconsistent start to the season for the Reds as they continue to adapt to the new man’s ideas and way of playing. Five games into the campaign, they have picked up five points and are 13th in the table.
Glasner has been clear patience will be required as he looks to make his mark on the banks of the Trent. Avoiding a repeat of last term’s relegation battle is his immediate goal, but he is aiming high beyond that.
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Aston Villa, who beat Forest on their way to lifting the Europa League trophy in May, are seen as the model to follow. Glasner views an expanded City Ground as being at the heart of the club’s ambitions, with Rushcliffe Borough Council having given the green light for their redevelopment plans last month.
“Expanding the stadium is a first step toward creating the necessary conditions,” Glasner said via Sport Witness. “But why shouldn’t it be possible to become like Aston Villa? In other words, getting a taste of the Champions League, even if you might miss out on it again later.”
The Reds came close to clinching a place in Europe’s elite competition under Nuno Espirito Santo in 2024/25. In the end, they had to settle for a seventh placed finish and a spot in the Europa League.
As they then tried to balance the demands of competing on the continent and on the domestic front amid a managerial merry-go-round, last term Forest finished 16th. Glasner’s task is to oversee a climb up the rankings, as well as to instil a sense of stability Trentside.
Five games into the Premier League season, where do you think Nottingham Forest will finish in the table?
The 52-year-old has had plenty to ponder during the three-week international break. His team have shown positive signs during the early weeks of his tenure but there are also areas in need of improvement.
A 1-0 home defeat to Coventry City was not the way the Reds wanted to sign off for the pause in action. They will attempt to bounce back when they head to Glasner’s former Crystal Palace stomping ground on Sunday (2pm kick-off).
“On the positive side, we’re conceding very few dangerous chances,” the ex-Eagles boss said. “But we need to improve our attacking play, especially at home. We’ve only had one home league win in 2026 so far.”
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Nottingham Forest reporter Sarah Clapson
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