Nottingham Forest has appointed Oliver Glasner as their new manager, concluding a three-year pursuit of the Austrian coach. Glasner has signed a deal reportedly worth between £12 million and £15 million per season, positioning him among the highest-paid managers in the Premier League.
Glasner most recently managed Crystal Palace, where he led the club to their first three trophies in their 120-year history. His move to Forest has been met with significant animosity from Palace, stemming from a dispute last summer over UEFA Europa League qualification. Forest ultimately benefited from the ruling, which saw them enter the Europa League while Palace competed in the Conference League, which they went on to win.
The appointment of Glasner is attributed in large part to George Syrianos, Nottingham Forest's global technical director and a long-time advisor to owner Evangelos Marinakis. Syrianos has followed Glasner's career since his time at Wolfsburg in 2019 and maintained contact, even discussing potential transfer targets between Palace and Forest. Forest's interest in Glasner predates Steve Cooper's departure in December 2023, when he was among the final two candidates alongside Nuno Espirito Santo.
Glasner is expected to implement his preferred 3-4-2-1 system, which yielded success at Palace. The club intends to build its team around Morgan Gibbs-White. While Glasner typically has a limited role in direct recruitment, he has identified needs at right-back and in central midfield. Potential transfer targets admired by the club include midfielders Curtis Jones, Lucas Bergvall, and Jack Hinshelwood, as well as Ivory Coast international Christ Inao Oulai. Forest is also reportedly interested in re-signing Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, whom they pursued in January.
Glasner's coaching methods are known for their meticulous drilling of his tactical system. While players like Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze thrived under his guidance at Palace, his demanding approach requires players to adapt to his philosophy. The club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, aims to emulate the success of Aston Villa's integration of Unai Emery, hoping Glasner can elevate Forest's standing and challenge for European competition.
The decision to part ways with interim manager Vitor Pereira came after an impressive, albeit short, tenure where he secured Europa League semi-final qualification. However, concerns lingered about his previous managerial spell at Wolves, where a strong start was followed by a significant decline. Forest ultimately decided Pereira was not the long-term answer.
Marinakis's ambition for Nottingham Forest is to recapture the club's past glories, aiming for consistent European qualification. The club hopes Glasner can significantly improve players such as Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, Murillo, and Igor Jesus. Glasner's history of developing players for substantial profit, evident at Eintracht Frankfurt and Palace, aligns with this strategy. However, Glasner's tendency to assert his methods could lead to friction if results do not follow, a situation Forest owner Marinakis has navigated before with managers.