Nottingham Forest’s 2026/27 campaign has delivered a mixture of encouraging moments and frustrating performances, leaving supporters with plenty to discuss about the club’s start under new head coach Oliver Glasner.
Glasner arrived during the summer to replace Vitor Pereira, taking charge with the expectation that his ideas would gradually transform Forest into a more consistent and competitive side. However, as supporters have seen during his previous managerial spells at Eintracht Frankfurt and Crystal Palace, adapting to a new system and building a team in his image can take time.
So far, Forest’s results have reflected that transitional period.
There have been some performances that have given supporters genuine reasons for optimism. A hard-earned draw away at Liverpool demonstrated Forest’s ability to compete against one of the league’s strongest sides, while the victory at Villa Park provided another major boost.
Winning away from home against Aston Villa was particularly significant because it showed that Glasner’s side can produce a result when the pressure is high and the opposition is strong.
However, those positive moments have been accompanied by some major frustrations.
Forest’s home performances have been the biggest concern for supporters. Results at the City Ground have not matched expectations, and the lack of consistency has made it difficult to determine exactly where this team is heading.
The contrast between Forest’s impressive away displays and their struggles at home has been one of the defining features of the opening weeks of the campaign.
FOREST SUPPORTERS GIVE THEIR VERDICT
With the season still in its early stages, Nottingham Forest supporters appear to have reached a fairly measured conclusion about Glasner’s start.
Through TalkingPoints, supporters were asked to assess the club’s performances during the opening part of the 2026/27 campaign. The response suggested that many fans currently view the season as average rather than either a major success or a serious disappointment.
The most common assessment was a C – Average rating.
That verdict reflects the mixed nature of Forest’s results.
There is certainly disappointment surrounding the home form, but the points gained against strong opposition have prevented the overall picture from becoming particularly negative.
One important point raised by supporters is that football can sometimes be judged differently depending on individual results.
For example, had Forest lost away at Aston Villa but defeated Coventry at home, the overall points tally might have looked very similar. The conversation surrounding Glasner’s start, however, could have been considerably different.
That highlights the fine margins involved during the opening stages of a season.
GLASNER STILL HAS TIME
Despite the concerns, there is also a sense among parts of the Forest fanbase that Glasner should be given time to implement his ideas.
A new manager needs more than a handful of matches to establish a clear identity, particularly when adapting the squad to a different tactical approach.
Glasner has already shown during his managerial career that his teams can develop into well-organised and highly competitive sides. The challenge at Forest will be turning flashes of quality into a level of consistency that supporters can rely on every week.
The encouraging performances against Liverpool and Aston Villa provide evidence that the team is capable of competing at a high level. The next challenge is reproducing that intensity and organisation on a regular basis, particularly at home.
For Forest supporters, that is likely to be the biggest measure of progress over the coming months.
THE PRESSURE WILL BUILD
While patience is understandable, expectations around Nottingham Forest remain high. Supporters want to see signs that the team is moving forward, and home matches will be particularly important in shaping the mood around the City Ground.
Glasner will therefore be looking for improvements in several areas, including consistency, attacking effectiveness and the ability to control matches for longer periods.
The early-season results have not provided a definitive answer about where Forest will finish, but they have offered a useful snapshot of a team still finding its identity.
For now, the supporters’ C – Average assessment appears to capture the mood: there have been enough positives to maintain optimism, but also enough weaknesses to show that significant improvement is still required.
The most encouraging factor for Glasner is that the campaign remains in its early stages. There is plenty of football still to be played, and Forest have already demonstrated that they can produce results against difficult opponents.
The next step is turning those promising moments into a consistent run of performances.
If Glasner can solve Forest’s home problems while maintaining the competitiveness they have shown on the road, the mood around the club could change quickly.
For now, though, Nottingham Forest fans appear willing to wait and see.
The message from the supporters is clear: the start has been average, the performances need to improve, but there is still belief that Glasner can get things right if he is given the necessary time to build his team.
