Forest’s slow start raises pressure on Glasner and Delap
Nottingham Forest are 19th in the Premier League after a difficult start under new manager Oliver Glasner, despite investing £45m in striker Liam Delap. With no home league goals and only one point at the City Ground, the results have put early pressure on a club that hopes to move away from frequent changes of manager. Forest say they are keeping calm as Delap prepares to face former club Ipswich.
Glasner’s tactics, including a back three and two attacking midfielders, require adjustment, while the team are adapting after losing Elliot Anderson. Forest have scored five league goals despite ranking seventh for expected goals, underperforming that measure by 6.2; based on expected goals for and against, they would sit fourth. Delap has scored once and is still building fitness and confidence, while Forest point to encouraging performances, including limiting Arsenal to one shot on target.
In short
- Forest sit 19th after a slow start under Glasner.
- They have scored five goals despite strong expected-goals numbers.
- Delap has one goal as he works to find form.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Forest’s poor position and lack of home goals make concern about Glasner’s tactics and the team’s direction reasonable, particularly after a costly signing and amid the club’s stated wish to avoid repeated managerial changes. Expected-goals figures do not erase the results, and Delap’s limited return so far adds to the pressure to show that the new approach can deliver.
The case against
A difficult start may not yet show the team’s longer-term prospects: Glasner’s system takes time to learn, Forest are adapting to Anderson’s departure, and Delap is still building fitness and confidence. Their expected-goals performance and the display against Arsenal suggest results may be worse than the underlying play, supporting patience before judging a new manager or a recent signing.
Explained simply
Nottingham Forest are a football club in the Premier League, England’s top division. Oliver Glasner is their manager, responsible for choosing the team and its tactics; striker Liam Delap joined from Ipswich Town, where he played before moving to Forest.
A manager’s system can take time for players to learn, and Forest are also adjusting after midfielder Elliot Anderson left. Expected goals is a measure of how likely a team’s chances are to result in goals, so it can differ from the number they actually score.
Forest are aiming to establish themselves in the league while avoiding the repeated manager changes the club has experienced in recent years. Their results matter to that aim, while Delap’s progress is one part of the team’s efforts to score more often.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Nottingham Forest’s false start places early focus on Glasner and Delap”.