Nottingham Forest secured a narrow win in their second-to-last warm-up fixture, defeating Bayer Leverkusen by two goals to one.
Arnaud Kalimuendo struck in stoppage time to give Oliver Glasner victory in his inaugural home match as Forest manager.
The Austrian received a rapturous welcome from the 11,000 spectators who witnessed their first glimpse of a squad constructed by a coach who achieved precisely what Evangelos Marinakis requires, having accomplished similar success at his previous employer.
European silverware remains off the agenda for now, and an FA Cup would be most welcome, though Glasner’s primary mandate involves improving Forest’s league position.
That journey commences against Leeds the following Saturday, before which they must conclude their preparation schedule with a fixture against Brest on Sunday.
They enter that encounter with both encouragement and concerns following an engaging 2-1 triumph over Leverkusen. Several aspects merit attention.
The City Ground welcomed its first look at Xaver Schlager, who will hold a small place in club history as Glasner’s debut signing.
When the transfer was initially announced—a free acquisition for a workmanlike 28-year-old midfielder, and Forest possessed reasonable depth in that area even following Elliot Anderson’s departure—it barely caused a ripple.
However, and while acknowledging this represented merely a 45-minute pre-season snapshot, the Austrian arguably stood out among all 22 Forest players.
The standout moment won’t feature on highlight packages, yet it was his intelligent square pass, turning away from the back three, that created the numerical advantage leading to the opening goal. Neco Williams and subsequently Murillo joined Morgan Gibbs-White, who expertly curled the ball past Dan Ndoye.
There were instances where the former RB Leipzig player launched into challenges, drove forward with the ball, and even attempted a shot himself during a thoroughly solid display.
He may not be Anderson, yet on a free transfer with a two-year deal, he could prove an excellent piece of business.
Ousmane Diomande was far from a bargain acquisition. Forest had to pay in excess of £34million to bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League.
What emerged on Tuesday demonstrated just how challenging it is to be thrown into a match having completed only one training session.
The Ivory Coast international possesses the physical attributes and—having won both the Portuguese championship and cup double, plus the Africa Cup of Nations—the credentials to become a genuine asset for Forest.
Glasner has clearly coveted him for some time, and the prospect of such a high-potential player combining with Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo at the back presents an exciting proposition.
That said, if we’re drawing conclusions from Schlager’s showing, we shouldn’t read too much into Diomande’s given the whirlwind nature of his transfer.
Overall, his contribution proved largely underwhelming, as he found himself exposed when Forest were too permissive in midfield areas.
While he escaped punishment when Forest failed to track Malik Tillman after the visitors chose to shoot rather than play the midfielder through, he fared less fortunate for the equaliser.
Insufficient pressure on the ball in central areas allowed Milenkovic to be drawn out and turned by Patrik Schlick, leaving Diomande stranded with no chance of closing down the Czech striker.
Diomande did, however, demonstrate decent pace to stretch to the touchline and win a foot-race to a ball down the line, and he delivered an excellent diagonal pass that found Gibbs-White. Hopefully there’s more to come.
Glasner offered an indication of his thinking through his first-half selection, which appeared very much like his strongest eleven minus Chris Wood. The New Zealand forward has resumed training and could feature against Brest at the weekend.
Matz Sels is clearly first choice between the posts, the wing backs face minimal competition, and one can safely predict Ibrahim Sangare, Gibbs-White, and perhaps even Ndoye in the lineup for Leeds. Seeing Schlager and Igor Jesus also start on opening day would surprise no one.
That leaves Nicolas Dominguez, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and James McAtee hoping the manager hasn’t already finalised his plans. Ryan Yates is another who must convince Glasner he merits regular starts.
Overall, the back three and wing backs appear settled, and Sangare’s physical presence will ensure he features most weeks. Gibbs-White clearly serves as the key creative influence, and inserting Chris Wood leaves three positions available if Ndoye’s spot truly becomes contested.
There will be adjustments to the midfield shape, whether four or five players, yet it does seem the 51-year-old has identified his best side. Whether Premier League opponents share that view remains to be seen.
Glasner introduced 11 substitutions at the interval, although the initial impression when he kept the opening-half team on the pitch during the break suggested he’d adopted a Phil Brown approach. In the end, the running proved merely a gentle cool-down.
The second half was illuminated by McAtee’s purposeful performance, yet another positive addition to what is becoming an impressive pre-season portfolio. Afterwards, Glasner confessed he’d been surprised not by the player’s established technical ability but his previously underrated competitive edge.
Kalimuendo also demonstrated some neat touches prior to nodding home the winner from Luca Netz’s set-piece. Dominguez resembled a Premier League regular in an experimental side featuring Yates at centre-back.
Taiwo Awoniyi worked industriously and made himself a nuisance, yet he still appears lacking in sharpness. Hudson-Odoi showed glimpses of threat without truly looking dangerous. There’s clearly better to come from him.