Nottingham Forest’s Carabao Cup run is already over after Leeds United won 2-0 at the City Ground on Tuesday night.
Three days after Anton Stach’s late free-kick gave Leeds a 1-0 league win at the same ground, Dan James and a Neco Williams own goal did the damage this time.
It also means Oliver Glasner is still waiting for his first victory as Forest head coach. And, speaking after the game, the Austrian didn’t try to dress up what he had just seen.
Glasner admits Forest have plenty of work to do
“Right now, we are far away from where we want to be,” Glasner said.
He knows some Nottingham Forest fans will expect a quick improvement under a new manager. Glasner’s response was that things simply don’t change that quickly.
“The fact is that this team had a relegation battle for nine months. But then maybe your best midfielder leaves the club and now we expect we compete for European places because Oliver Glasner is in. Sorry, this is what I can’t deliver within six weeks. I’m no magician, no messiah, just hard work.”
There was no attempt to blame the defeat on bad luck either.
“It was a tough night and a tough defeat. We have to accept it and it’s the reality of where we are right now.”
Leeds looked more settled on the night and Glasner believes that showed in the way both sides played.
“They are further ahead of where we are. We have started our process but I think they have been together for two or three years now, always adding one or two or three players.”
Forest have already had to change the team because of injuries, while several players are still getting back to full fitness. Glasner’s cup selection also gave Ousmane Diomande his first start for the East Midland club.
Mistakes punished Forest again
For Glasner, the biggest issue wasn’t simply that Leeds United played better.
“This is what we could see, much more stability in the team, whereas we struggled today and we made too many mistakes.”
Those mistakes gave Leeds openings, and Forest eventually paid for them.
“We knew we would play with pressure but we took too many wrong decisions and that’s how we gave them their chances and their goals.”
There were chances at the other end. Forest had two or three moments where they could have changed the game, but they weren’t taken.
“We had two or three moments where we had good opportunities but we didn’t take them but that’s the reality and that’s important for me to accept it.”
Forest can’t keep waiting for opponents to make more mistakes than they do.
Glasner knows that as well.
“It’s we who can change it and this is what we will do.”
The manager also has players coming back from longer-term injuries, so there is still some room for the squad to improve physically.
But the next step has to come from the players already available.
“I think the performance today was not good enough to win the game and we can’t hope that that other teams will play worse football; it’s our responsibility to play better and be fitter.”
That was probably the clearest summary of Forest’s night by Oliver Glasner. Two defeats to Leeds in four days, no goals scored and now no cup football to fall back on.
