Glasner seeks balance between 'Woodstock' freedom and military discipline at winless Forest
Oliver Glasner says Nottingham Forest cannot succeed on 'flower power' alone and has urged his players to find a balance between fun and high-performance discipline after a fourth defeat in five games.
Oliver Glasner has challenged his Nottingham Forest squad to strike a balance between enjoyment and discipline, warning that the team's current approach has not delivered results. Forest sit 19th in the Premier League and have neither won nor scored at home in the top flight, with last weekend's 2-0 loss at Brentford marking a fourth defeat in five matches.
Glasner framed the issue around two values he said he will never negotiate: trust and respect. Respect alone, he suggested, becomes too rigid and draining, while trust alone produces a carefree atmosphere he likened to "flower power" and Woodstock. He argued that high performance requires a blend of enjoyment and the structure he described as military, adding that he felt the squad had leaned too far toward the carefree side.
The 52-year-old, who arrived in the summer, said he had asked himself whether he should have delivered the message sooner. He recalled sensing two or three times that the moment had come, but choosing patience in the hope things would change. After the Brentford display resembled previous performances, he decided he had to speak now or nothing would shift.
Despite the poor start, Glasner is not under immediate pressure. He remains in close contact with the Forest hierarchy, with the club prioritising stability after employing four managers last season. He described regular communication with the ownership, including Miltiadis Marinakis, chief football officer George Syrianos, technical director Pedro Ferreira and CEO Theodore Giannikos.
Glasner said his decisions are guided by what he believes is best for Nottingham Forest rather than for himself, and that he struggles to accept things he considers wrong. He acknowledged there have been some obvious grumbles from players who are not featuring, while supporters have grown frustrated with the winless home record. Glasner accepted responsibility for the current results, saying he has failed so far and blames himself most.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
