Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner has vowed to rebuild his squad after a damaging 2-0 defeat at Brentford. Glasner took full responsibility for the loss, which extended a poor run to four defeats in the last five Premier League games.
Brentford secured their first win since the last international break with a pragmatic performance at the Gtech Community Stadium. The opening goal came just before half-time when Dango Ouattara's effort was deflected into his own net by Nikola Milenkovic. Igor Thiago then sealed the points in the 76th minute with a deflected strike, compounding a miserable afternoon for Forest.
Glasner's post-match accountability
Speaking in a 14-minute press conference, Glasner was unequivocal about where the blame lay. He described the result as disappointing and frustrating, and insisted the performance was not good enough. The manager said he had compromised his own principles and blamed himself for the team's failures.
"I'm desperate to change it. Desperate," Glasner said. He added that he is "not here to be liked" but to bring success to the club. The Austrian stated that if things cannot be changed with the current personnel, then different players are needed. He went further, suggesting that if the club does not want to make changes, they would need a different manager, which would mean a sixth different boss since the start of last season.
Glasner pointed to some defensive statistics, noting they limited Brentford to just six shots, but conceded that the overall outcome was unacceptable. He also revealed he had insisted the entire squad travel back to Nottingham together on the team coach, showing his desire to foster unity.
Forest's attacking woes
While Glasner felt the defensive structure was adequate, Forest's chronic lack of goals was again exposed. They remain the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season with only six goals. In this match, they wasted 14 shots before registering one on target in the 79th minute. James McAtee curled a good chance wide from inside the box, and Ryan Yates headed over from just four yards out in a glaring miss.
Both of Brentford's goals originated from long balls from the goalkeeper. The team was booed off by their own travelling supporters at full-time.
Former Premier League manager Tim Sherwood, analysing the game, stated bluntly that the Forest players are "not good enough" and that Glasner must manage with what he has until the January transfer window.
For Brentford, the victory was hailed as their best of the season by pundit Keith Andrews, who praised their smart play and leadership in a challenging period. The win moves them clear of immediate relegation concerns. Forest, meanwhile, are left searching for answers, with Glasner now under intense pressure to instigate an immediate turnaround.
Read the full report at theguardian.com
