Nottingham Forest have made plenty of headlines for their tactical evolution under Oliver Glasner, but an unexpected and unwanted statistical anomaly has begun to plague the club at the City Ground. Forest currently hold the dubious distinction of being the only team in the Premier League to have played three home matches in the 2026–27 season without finding the back of the net.
While Glasner’s counter-attacking philosophy continues to yield stellar results and organized performances on the road, breaking down deeply entrenched low blocks in front of their home supporters has become a glaring weakness. According to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, solving this tactical puzzle may require Evangelos Marinakis and the club hierarchy to loosen the purse strings when the winter transfer window swings open.
Diagnosing the City Ground Scoring Drought
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Wyness pointed out that Forest’s historic tendency to excel away from home since returning to the top flight in 2022 stems from teams opening up against them, allowing Morgan Gibbs-White and company to exploit space on the counter.
At the City Ground, however, the dynamic shifts completely. Opposing managers increasingly arrive in the East Midlands setting up in compact, low defensive blocks, daring Forest to break them down. Without enough creative depth in central midfield to pick apart those suffocating spaces, Glasner’s side has hit an offensive wall.
“With Glasner, I think he’s fixed the same sort of problem at Frankfurt and at Palace before as well. Part of the problem has been that teams have sat in against Forest, and they haven’t had that expenditure in creative midfielders to unlock that block,” Wyness explained.
“When they’ve been away from home, teams have been more open, and Forest have hit them on the counter-attack… I think at home, they’re either going to have to start games off much quicker and really hit teams in that way, or else they’re going to have to spend £40m on somebody creative in midfield to help unlock these situations.”
The Two-Pronged Solution: Coaching vs. Big-Money Investment
Wyness believes that before January arrives, Glasner will heavily focus on coaching a more aggressive, high-tempo start to matches at the City Ground, forcing his players to attack right from the opening whistle to disrupt opponent structures before they can settle into a low block.
However, long-term success—particularly with fan expectations rising and future stadium infrastructure projects on the horizon—requires sustainable goalscoring form on home turf. If internal solutions fall short, opening up a £40 million war chest to secure a top-tier, elite creative playmaker to partner alongside Gibbs-White could become an absolute necessity.
Standing Firm on Murillo Amid Elite Interest
While attacking reinforcements may top the January wishlist, Forest’s defensive assets continue to turn heads across Europe. Manchester United have renewed their pursuit of Brazilian centre-back Murillo, while heavyweights like Liverpool and Chelsea are also monitoring his situation.
Fortunately for Forest, Murillo is tied down to a long-term contract running until the summer of 2030. Following the club’s profitable transfer strategy demonstrated by previous departures, sources indicate it would take a truly astronomical “huge offer” for Marinakis and Glasner to even contemplate letting their defensive rock depart.
As Forest prepare for their upcoming fixtures, bridging the gap between their lethal away form and their home struggles will define whether they can transform into genuine top-half contenders.
Do you think Nottingham Forest need to splash £40m on a creative midfielder in January, or can Oliver Glasner solve their home scoring woes with the current squad?
