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Oliver Glasner: How Nottingham Forest head coach is trying to solve club's scoring problem ahead of Arsenal fixture

The Premier League’s second-lowest scorers have, unsurprisingly, been working on their finishing in training this week. But when it came to giving advice on scoring goals, head coach Oliver Glasner knew when to hand over to an expert.

Nottingham Forest have had the third-most shots in the top flight but rank 19th in conversion rate, netting five fewer than their expected goals. Glasner can only tell his squad so much about scoring.

"I was explaining to the team what we were going to do," Glasner told Sky Sports. "Chris Wood was standing next to me and I passed the words to him because he has scored almost 200 goals in English football, 92 in the Premier League.

"Who can talk more about scoring goals than Chris Wood can? Because I didn't score any goals in the Premier League. I scored 20 in my entire career."

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Wood, 34, took on a coaching role for a moment.

"He spoke to the team and I loved his message," said Glasner. "It was, 'Never lose your confidence in your ability' and I like it.

"He said there is always another [chance] around the corner and that's exactly it. You wait for the next one and then you have the next opportunity to get your goal."

Forest have an identical league record to this time last season, when Nuno Espirito Santo had already lost his job before Ange Postecoglou became the club's second managerial casualty in their opening eight games.

Glasner is in the spotlight after winning just one of his first seven in all competitions, though he knows he doesn't have to provide every solution himself.

"I would be completely stupid if I didn't use the experience and the quality we have in our team," he said. "We all want the same, we all want to be successful and we are together. It doesn't always mean that the manager has the answers to everything.

"That's how a team works. You support each other with advice, with experience and with a kick into the a**. Then you have the manager and the coaching staff that guide you and tell everyone which path you want to go."

Forest's defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend, in which they had 24 shots, was their most frustrating yet, not least because of the recent history between the two clubs and Glasner's connection with the south London side. He described it as their best attacking performance.

"We were high-pressing with low transitions, we had open play chances, we were really a big threat in set-pieces, but the final bit we were missing," he said.

"If you miss a few chances, we all know, if this gets into your head, then you have a problem. That's why we don't make a problem out of it. It's part of the game.

"In this situation, it's important to stay calm. I would have concerns if we don't create chances, if the opposition gets so many chances, but it's more the opposite."

Their problems do extend beyond finishing. They have won only once at the City Ground in the league since Christmas and haven't scored there this season.

Sunday's home fixture against champions Arsenal offers little respite.

"They were outrunning the opposition every single game this season," he said. "You are the champions, very often they have 60 or 70 per cent possession, but they are outrunning [opponents], because the effort of every single player is so high. This is the biggest compliment for Mikel Arteta.

"But on the other side, I am very confident that we will create two, three, four good chances. Then it is about being efficient, taking the chances."

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