New Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner joked about his sunburn as he faced the press for the first time at the City Ground. But behind the smiles, the Austrian knows the scale of the task ahead. He becomes the club's fifth manager in less than a year, stepping into a role that has seen more occupants than a holiday rental since Nuno Espirito Santo departed last August.
Glasner's challenge for stability
Glasner, 51, has signed a three-year deal and arrives with an impressive pedigree after guiding Crystal Palace to FA Cup and Europa Conference League success. But the Premier League club's hiring-and-firing culture is stark. Behind the same desk, Nuno revealed a breakdown in relations with the hierarchy, Ange Postecoglou lasted just 39 days, Sean Dyche 114, and Vitor Pereira was dismissed two minutes before a termination clause could expire in June.
Glasner, though, is unfazed:
"Nobody wants to get divorced. I don't know how it's in England but in Austria it's 50% [the divorce rate]. When you ask them at the wedding, they'd say 'yeah, not us' but it happens."
He added:
"Every single club wants to have the same manager for a decade, but that's just not the real world. We hope now that this is the starting point."
A revolving door and a plan
Forest's managerial churn mirrors a wider trend. An LMA study found the average tenure of a sacked Premier League manager is now under a year, down from over three years in 2021-22. Glasner ignores the noise:
"I never sign and think about getting sacked. I just think: 'OK, what do we have to do to bring success to the club?'"
He takes charge of his first pre-season friendly at Notts County on Saturday, and his first competitive game will be at home to Leeds United on 22 August.
Tactical approach remains open
Known for his back-three system at Palace, Glasner promises flexibility:
"We are not here to be Palace 2. I told the players I don't know if we will play a back four or back three. Get to know the players and find the right system."
If he avoids a painful divorce from Forest, his sunburn might be the worst thing to happen to him all season.
