Oliver Glasner speaks in his first interview as Nottingham Forest’s new head coach

Oliver Glasner speaks in his first interview as Nottingham Forest’s new head coach, over a month after his departure from Crystal Palace.

Glasner comes in to replace Vitor Pereira at the City Ground, thought to be on a three year deal, becoming Forest’s fifth manager in the last 12 months.

The club have also been through the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou, including Dyche and Pereira.

Interviewer David Prutton: “Oliver, welcome to Nottingham Forest. It’s been great to just have a little wander around the City Ground to get your bearings here as the new head coach. What’s the feeling for you being at this historic football club?”

Glasner: “It’s a great feeling. Very exciting first days here at Nottingham. And of course I know City Ground as a manager from an away team and the atmosphere was always brilliant and I’m really looking forward to managing Nottingham Forest here at City Ground and hopefully giving our fans many wins.”

Prutton: “Is that you talk about the atmosphere, you talk about the size of the football club, a very historic football club as well. Does this all go into what makes Nottingham Forest the right choice for you right now?”

Glasner: “Oh yes, it was of course when I thought about the project and when I had talks and had quite intense talks, it was one of the topics, you know, two time European champion. I know it’s long ago, but history stays forever. So the memories stay forever and yes it’s it’s a very traditional very historic club with a fantastic fan base and also a very very ambitious owner who wants to make a step forward and and all of this also the squad looks very very interesting and yeah that were the main reasons why I then decided to join Nottingham.”

Prutton: “You talked about the owner and the ambitions of the club’s leadership. When you hear that in discussions to become the next head coach of a football club, how quickly is it important that you’re on the same page and you’re going in the same direction because you’re quite clearly a very ambitious manager yourself.”

Glasner: “I think that’s the most important part, but it’s it’s I think it’s not just in football. You know, when you have a relationship with your wife, it’s important you go in the same direction. Otherwise, it won’t last for a long time. And it’s the same when I talk to a club to the to the to the leadership of the board of the club. It’s important and I think that’s fundamental for success that everybody is aligned, everybody has the same vision for the club and if I can see and feel this alignment, then it becomes interesting. And then of course it’s now important to fill this with life. To do the right steps. I think it’s Forest is already on a on a good on a good run in a good period after getting promoted four years ago was playing European football playing the semi-final of the Europa League and ending seventh the season before last season. So I think what is important now is consistency. Yeah. Because not seventh and then 16th again. So being consistent, a team that plays in the top half of the league and then we know how competitive the Premier League is. So one thing is to talk about it and the other thing is to deliver and that’s what we will start now, to create the common way of playing to create the common identity of how we want to to deal with each other. I think that’s important to create a spirit, a great togetherness within the team, within the club, together with the fans. I think that’s very important that we have a great atmosphere and a relationship among everybody. And this is now to start and if we can build this I’m pretty sure that we will be successful.”

Prutton: “You use the word interesting I presume as well even though you’ve had a very long career in in football both playing and in management so far is it exciting as well because there’s a lot of expectation everyone’s buzzing off the fact that you’ve come here that you’ve chosen Nottingham Forest and that Nottingham Forest has chosen you is there that still element of it’s a very very big job but I’m really excited about getting going?”

Glasner: “Oh yes, that’s it’s the same. That’s for me that’s that’s very important that it’s exciting for me and and it’s challenging for me and you know that’s why why we all doing this you know because it’s it’s of course it’s also a lot of effort it’s a lot of I’m leaving my family back in Austria and but yes this excitement and now starting to work together you know Oliver Glasner can’t do anything alone, no chance, no way, but I really believe in that we all together the staff the players together, the club, the leadership of the club, the fans that we all together can really be very competitive in the Premier League and and that makes me excited and that’s what we really started now from day number one, but it’s also there is no button to press where all of a sudden it’s here. So, it’s really a daily work. It’s a progress over weeks and that’s what we started today.”

Prutton: “And your impressions of what you’ve seen from it from now being the man that’s going to lead the side. You’ve seen the ground, you’ve seen the training ground as well. There’s redevelopment going on as well. It feels and I’m very interested to hear your take, Oliver, if you come into a big club at a time when it wants to get bigger. It wants to grow even more. That must make quite an impression on you?”

Glasner: “Oh, yes, absolutely. And but on the other side it’s I don’t know if you say the same in English you know we say it’s it’s not the not the stones are important the people are important and that what gives me a lot of confidence for this project is because I met great people here working for this club. Yeah and because you can have the best stadium you can have the best training ground but if you don’t have the right people it doesn’t work. So I think that’s the most important part and this is what I let’s say after one and a half day being here I just met great people but of course now it’s getting each other known and and finding the right way how we work together but also and for me it’s it’s it’s not it’s not just work let’s say here that that’s my life you know and and it’s arriving in the morning and leaving in the evening and of course working to succeed but on the other side enjoying and then to enjoy where you know you need good relationships, we want to laugh at the training ground having fun together but also yeah work hard to succeed.”

Prutton: “The career that you’ve had playing and as a coach and as a manager and director as a footballer and all the different kinds of experiences and positions that you’ve put yourself in to get yourself here today. Are there any ones that you could touch on that have really shaped you and shaped your philosophy and your mindset?”

Glasner: “To be honest many. you know, I had a very long playing career. So maybe not on the top international level on on the top Austrian level and had many managers and then you have you think ah this that’s great this is I can use then you have something ah I never want to do this and and then of course also as a I was assistant manager for two years at Red Bull Salzburg and I was Roger Schmidt was the the the head coach Ralph Rangnik was the sporting director. Yes and this of course affected my my career and then and I hope that but I’m now a different coach than I was 10 years ago. It’s the same when we talk about developing players. It’s the same I see myself as as always learning and developing in in every part in the football part in in leadership and in communication. So really taking every chance to to develop myself and that’s what I really like in this job because being a manager is never boring. And tomorrow is never like it was today. And but that makes it exciting. That makes it interesting. And this is that challenges myself. And that’s what I like in this job. You know, you have to to you work with people. Yeah. And that’s what I’m really interested in. And for me, I don’t care, you know, if it’s the if it’s the kitman or if it’s the owner, you know, for me, it’s always the people the person behind is the most important one. And everybody deserves appreciation. Everybody deserves respect. And that’s what how I want that we deal being respectful with each other but also as I mentioned they’re having fun together at the end in the life it’s with just one life and it’s a little bit pathetic maybe but it’s I want to enjoy this journey. Yeah. And I know and I’m also convinced that the players we want the players to perform on their top level and we all know you therefore you need to be in a good mood. You need to to enjoy what you’re doing. I don’t know somebody who is in a very bad mood and performing on a top level. You know, being an artist or something, it’s not possible. That’s why we want to create an environment where everybody likes to show up in the morning, is willing to work hard, but also ensures what he’s doing.”

Prutton: “The I mean, and just as an aside, you say it might sound a bit pathetic, the whole one life thing. It absolutely does not. You’re so right because it goes by in a blink of an eye. The players are slowly but surely coming back for preseason and there’s obviously going to be a really good Premier League campaign coming up. How thrilled are you to get your teeth stuck into what this squad is and to see players that you would have seen from afar or the other end of the football pitch to now see them to see what you can do with them?”

Glasner: “Yes, that’s the same. Let’s say the exciting part for you because it’s now seeing them every single day on the pitch and then not just what they’re doing on the pitch, you know, getting the person known, that’s yeah, that’s what it’s now all about. Yeah. Getting each other known, creating a common way of playing on the pitch that everybody understands and then it’s everybody’s different. you know, some they learn very quickly, others it takes a little bit longer and and and all this stuff here. That’s that’s when we’re talking about the journey. Yeah. So, and that it starts now. And then also I already had a call with with the players being at the World Cup, you know, that maybe they could come back a little bit earlier because I want them being integrated.”

Prutton: “Did they say yes, they’re going to come back earlier?”

Glasner: “Yes. We found we found good compromises, no. ring it out on a beach somewhere. No, no, no. They deserve, of course, that they need and they deserve a break. I thought Yeah, we found a good compromise. So, they return a few days earlier and it’s all about being successful and the players want all the players now, so give yourself the best chance for the preparation. Exactly. Exactly. And we and that’s it’s everywhere the same, you know. We can just support the players. So we want to help them become the best version of themselves but they have to do it. Yeah. It’s it’s we can’t nobody will be taller because we are talking to him. Nobody will be really quick. But if everybody understands how we want to play, he can rely on his teammates. He knows okay I can do I have to do this I can do this because my my teammate is here for me or whatever. And then it’s always the same, you know, we want them to try something. Yeah. So sometimes players try to avoid mistakes. No, it’s okay. Of course, not too many, but no, don’t be worried about making a mistake. It’s just a reaction to how we deal with it as a team. Yeah. Blaming somebody or working together for example to win the ball back. Yeah. And this gives us a good feeling and a spirit and yeah that’s what we want to create.”

Prutton: “So, when it comes to what you’d classically describe an Oliver Glasner team, does that depend on who you’ve got personnel-wise from a playing point of view, do you have a a set in stone specific philosophy or do you look at the squad and think, well, this way of playing, this formation, this tempo, this fits this group of players. Do you have to assess them? Because I’m just thinking if you’re if Forest fans are watching this and thinking from a home point of view of what our side’s going to look like under Oliver Glasner, can you give us any insight on what that might be?”

Glasner: “It’s a bit of both to be honest. Of course, I have a a vision in my head how I want to see us playing and but this has to be aligned with the players we have with what the players are capable of because that’s also you know if I ask a player to do something where he doesn’t really feel confident or probably he can’t do well he loses confidence. Yeah. So we want the players with confidence. We want the players playing in their best position to show how good they are and this is why we now need to get to know each other. Of course, I know every single one and I know the profile. I know what they can do. But now getting them known also the personality, you know, it’s it’s some are very extroverted, some are a little bit introverted. Yeah. And this takes time and and but yeah, we have a great group of players. We have a great coaching staff. We have great people as I mentioned working around the team. they will get all the support and then yeah it’s up to us to show good performances and to play good football.”

Prutton: “So given how excited you are and and what you’ve got at your disposal right now you step into a football club that’s been left in a very good manner by Vitor Pereira moving on. It’s the tough part about being a manager. One manager goes, another manager comes in. How important is it that you come into a squad that’s been left in a certain way by the outgoing manager?”

Glasner: “I think Vitor did a great job at the end of the season and the team was really fighting against getting relegated and then and then he came in and did brilliantly and also played up to the semi-final of the Europa League. So huge credit to Victor for what he has done and and how he achieved all the goals at the end of the season and yeah that’s that’s part of football then but yeah it it makes it easier for for all of us to start on a on a higher level with the players and this helps us to to have a better start into the season. So yeah huge huge credit to Vitor.”

Prutton: “Well, Oliver, you sound passionate, you sound excited, you sound interested in what this wonderful job’s going to be for you in the coming season. Do you have a specific message for Nottingham Forest fans as we begin another Premier League season? Feel free to address them directly.”

Glasner: “Yeah, first of all, I’m really excited to join Nottingham to be here now and and also looking forward to play the first home game at City Ground, and know will be a great atmosphere, a great noise and we know I know that we can count on you that you always support the team and that’s one of the messages to you and one of the messages I will deliver to the players is and for me it’s the tougher it gets the more we need your support the more the players need your support because you know in tough situations then you need somebody to hug you and then we will be quite successful together but it’s one thing is 100% we need you to play a successful season So hopefully, no, I’m pretty sure you will support the team, you will support us, and then yeah, let’s start and play a great season.”

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