Oliver Glasner brings the Bundesliga press to the City Ground
Nottingham Forest opened their pre-season account with a win against Notts County, but the scoreline mattered less than the movement patterns. Watching them on Tuesday, the most noticeable change was the intensity of the high block. Oliver Glasner has moved away from the passive mid-block that haunted the club for stretches of last season.
Instead, we saw a structured 3-4-2-1 formation that squeezed the pitch aggressively. While it is only mid-July, the triggers were clear: whenever the ball traveled to the opposing full-back, the nearest attacking midfielder sprinted to force a sideline turnover. This creates high-value transitions, a necessity for a squad that often struggled to build through the thirds in 2025.
The squad depth problem remains glaring
Despite the positive result, the defensive rotations looked vulnerable when the second-string players entered the pitch. A professional squad should not be conceding high-quality chances against a lower-league side, yet a lapse in concentration in the 62nd minute nearly cost the clean sheet. The defensive line remains thin in terms of pure recovery pace.
If the club fails to address this in the current market, the high line will be exposed against Premier League speed. You cannot press effectively if the center-back trio lacks the recovery burst to track runners behind them. As Sky Sports reported, the recruitment team is being tested early as they look to shore up the backline before the real business begins.
Tactical markers to watch in the coming weeks
The fluidity of the front three is the next puzzle for the manager. In the opening match, the interplay between the wingers and the lone striker was disjointed during the final ten minutes. Too many runs were made into the same space, causing congestion rather than breaking the defensive shape.
I expect the technical staff to prioritize wide-area spacing in their next training sessions. Without distinct lanes for the wing-backs to overlap, the system becomes predictable. Look for the touch maps in the next friendly; if the wing-backs are hugging the sideline rather than pinching inside, we will know the setup is functioning correctly.
The verdict on the early build
Forest is in a transition period that requires patience, even if the fans are clamoring for immediate results. They are shifting from a reactionary side to one that demands the ball in dangerous pockets of the pitch. While the personnel gaps remain a genuine risk, the tactical blueprint is more professional than anything we saw last autumn.
My prediction for the opening game? They will win, but likely by a single goal. The lack of chemistry in the final third and the potential for a defensive breakdown against a high-tier counter-attack means they will likely concede at least once. It will be a shaky 2-1 victory that underscores both their new ambition and their old habits.
