Expectations were sky-high among the Nottingham Forest fan base when Oliver Glasner was appointed as the new head coach to replace Vitor Pereira in the summer.

Glasner – fresh off the back of three trophies with Crystal Palace – decided that Forest was the club where he would commence the next chapter of his managerial career, arriving on a stellar contract after turning down the advances of AC Milan.

It was anticipated that Glasner would bring a fast-paced, high-pressing 3-4-2-1 system designed to take Forest to the next level, but so far, despite flashes of promise, things aren’t going according to plan.

The reality so far in 2026/27 has been players looking a little bit disjointed with a new system deployed, with Forest without a home goal yet this season and the Reds slipping into the relegation zone with five points from seven matches.

Is Murillo right? Have you seen enough from the performances under Glasner that Forest can get things right this season?

The underlying statistics suggest Forest can kick on under Glasner. However, given the nature of the Premier League and the fact that the division can be a cruel mistress, time won’t be on the head coach’s side.

Can Glasner adapt his setup to fix Forest’s finishing woes, or will the emphatic demands of the City Ground force Evangelos Marinakis into another managerial change? Here at Nottingham Forest News, we break down the mechanics of the 3-4-2-1 system, examine some new additions and highlight what must change if Forest are to get out of this sticky predicament.

Breakdown of the 3-4-2-1 formation

Forest’s tactical philosophy is a fluid, high-octane 3-4-2-1 structure built to dominate transitions and overloads. Grounded by a robust back three – spearheaded by the ever-reliable Murillo – the system relies heavily on proactive, aggressive central defenders who can break the lines and absorb counter-attacks.

Where Forest have struggled with this so far is personnel. Murillo missed most of pre-season and has looked short of match fitness, whilst Ousmane Diomande and Nikola Milenkovic have both spent periods on the treatment table already this season.

When building out from the back, wing-backs such as Daniel Munoz – signed by Glasner – and Neco Williams push higher up the pitch to pin back the opposition, effectively transforming the front line into a five-man attack.

This enables Morgan Gibbs-White to tuck into internal half-spaces. There, he often looks to pick up loose balls, combine with teammates in tight spaces and create quality chances for the lone striker.

How Forest transition from defence to attack

The heartbeat of the system relies solely on the double pivot in central midfield. So far this season, we’ve seen James McAtee and Xaver Schlager strike up a partnership, and that has proved an intriguing one.

Against Arsenal, Ibrahim Sangare was at fault for the goal scored by the Gunners, and Sangare isn’t a great substitute if we’re being completely honest.

Nicolas Dominguez had a good game against Arsenal. With that in mind, perhaps cracking the midfield conundrum will go a long way towards Forest becoming a more fluent and free-scoring team.

McAtee does look like the key going forward in terms of the midfield. As a natural number 10, he can link up with the likes of Dan Ndoye and Gibbs-White to get Forest firing in front of goal.

The impact of new signings: Liam Delap, Ousmane Diomande and Daniel Munoz

So far, it’s looked very much like a work in progress when it comes to the new players. Diomande was pretty good against Arsenal, keeping errors to a minimum, with one brilliant tackle in particular coming up against Viktor Gyokeres.

As of yet, he’s not really played in the right-hand spot he was signed to play in, nor has he played in the same team as Milenkovic or Murillo, and having all three on the pitch together could be huge.

Delap was cleared of blame last week after wasting a good chance to put the game to bed against Crystal Palace, but the early signs of his time at Forest do feel positive.

Roy Keane praised Delap for his efforts against Arsenal. Furthermore, he’s already grabbed his first goal for the club in a win over Aston Villa, and the more he keeps playing, the sharper he should become.

Munoz and Schlager are the other signings made by Forest. Munoz is clearly Glasner’s man having won three trophies under him at Palace, whilst Schlager has also played for the head coach previously and looks a shrewd addition on a free transfer.

City Ground form: Solving the home goal drought

This is the really pressing concern for Glasner. If he’s to achieve anything at Forest, he has to find the way to goal on Trentside and turn the City Ground back into a bit of a fortress.

Forest have played four games in the Premier League on home soil this season and remain without a goal. Bad luck came in games against Coventry and Tottenham when it comes to VAR, but Forest can’t keep bemoaning that.

The nerves are evident in front of goal at home. Chances have been wasted in every game, and there are almost signs that players don’t want to take on the responsibility of shooting at goal for fear of missing.

Although Glasner can’t stick the ball in the net on home soil for the Reds, he can work on the players and their mindsets, trying to instil confidence in his shot-shy stars ready for some big challenges ahead.

There’s an argument that to turn the City Ground back into a place for opposition teams to fear, Glasner must inject greater unpredictability into the team’s attacks.

Perhaps there is an argument that Forest need to be a little bit more direct at times and get the likes of Delap and Wood involved in better quality chances than they’re being given at the moment. Arguably, this is the single factor that will determine whether this long-term project succeeds or not.

What Oliver Glasner must change before the next Premier League fixture

With a trip to Ipswich the next on the horizon, it’s likely to be another tough test. The Tractor Boys have been far more competitive on their return to the Premier League, with Gary O’Neil now in charge of the team.

Forest might choose to go with a change in personnel for the game against Ipswich. Gibbs-White should be fit to return – but it would be very brave to leave Dominguez out after his heroics in the game against Arsenal on Sunday.

There is also a case to alter the defence. Milenkovic is renowned for marshalling the defensive unit, and although Jair Cunha has been steady in his absence, the Serbian might get the nod to return also.

With five points from seven matches, it’s weird to say that Glasner doesn’t need to change much. Forest simply have to start scoring more goals and taking their chances at key moments in matches.

One thing that is required – particularly among the fan base – is patience. No supporter gets a kick out of seeing their team lose matches on a frequent basis, but Evangelos Marinakis has finally appointed a winner as a head coach, and there is absolutely no way he will be panicking just yet, with clear signs that Forest can still do alright this season.

When things click, Forest might just go out and thrash somebody. The system isn’t necessarily the problem at this stage and with the games coming thick and fast, the Reds know they have another chance to put things right this week.