‘This team had a relegation battle for nine months’ – Glasner says Nottingham Forest cannot ‘ignore the reality’

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner has stated that the team's relegation battle lasted for nine months, and the club cannot ignore this reality following their 2-0 defeat to Leeds in the Carabao Cup. Forest were eliminated from the competition at the City Ground, with goals from Daniel James and James Justin securing Leeds' progress.

Glasner believes that expectations surrounding the club must be realistic after a turbulent campaign last season and a Premier League loss to Leeds on opening day. He emphasized that the team is far from where they want to be and where he is convinced they will be. Glasner urged his players to focus on facts, noting that this team endured a challenging season that ended with a significant effort to avoid relegation.

He also stressed that he is not looking to blame anyone for the current situation, but he believes that Forest's squad needs time and further development before they can realistically challenge for European places. Glasner warned against placing undue expectations on his team, acknowledging that he cannot deliver European competition within six weeks.