Just over five months ago, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis made the unfortunate call to sack manager Steve Cooper after a run of six games without a win.
The Welshman captured the hearts of the Reds fanbase, taking over the side after they were rooted to the bottom of the Championship after picking up just one point from their opening seven matches in 2021/22.
However, the former Swansea City boss achieved the unthinkable, leading the club to the Premier League following a 1-0 win in the play-off final over Huddersfield Town at Wembley.
Cooper once again worked his magic during the club's first top-flight campaign in 23 years, securing survival despite a huge influx of new signings – providing him with the huge task of gelling a bunch of strangers into a side good enough for the Premier League.
A poor start to the 2023/24 season – which included a run of five defeats out of six at one stage leading up to Cooper's departure – would see him lose his job at the City Ground, with numerous names flying around to replace the fan-favourite in the dugout.
Forest had verbal agreement with high-profile boss
According to a recent report from The Guardian, the club were recommended by advisor George Syrianos, to appoint former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, with the Austrian being the perfect fit for the Reds' squad.
The report goes on to state the club had a verbal agreement with the 49-year-old to take over at the City Ground, before owner Marinakis caught wind of the deal and decided to pursue another option.
He instead decided to appoint Nuno Espírito Santo, mainly down to his agent – Jorge Mendes, a football super agent who has multiple high-profile clients, in a bid to tempt them to ply their trade in Nottingham.
Nuno enjoyed success at Wolves, with signings such as Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota making a huge impact in their Championship-winning campaign – scoring 23 goals between them that season.
However, with just three games to go Nuno's side sit just a point clear of the Premier League's relegation zone, with the Reds making a huge mistake in not hiring Glasner.
Why Glasner's system would've secured PL survival for Forest
The "incredible" Austrian, as described by Transfermarkt's Stefan Bienkowski, would subsequently join Crystal Palace in February, taking over from Roy Hodgson and making an instant impact at Selhurst Park.
He's already secured Premier League survival for the Eagles, despite being 15th and just a handful of points clear of the drop at the time of his arrival – with his 3-4-2-1 system working its magic in England.
His high-intensity system has allowed multiple players at Palace to thrive, with his tactics masterminding a stunning 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield a few weeks ago.
Glasner's formation depends on his three centre-backs being comfortable on the ball, with the central player out of the three often playing slightly more advanced in possession to allow for a third man in the middle of the pitch – subsequently creating an overload in midfield.
Jefferson Lerma has been one player who has hugely benefitted from his arrival at the club, with the Colombian midfielder slotting into a wide centre-back role in recent weeks – even claiming FotMob's Man of the Match award for his performance against Jürgen Klopp's side.
The two attacking players behind the central striker would have a crucial part to play in any success, with the two wing-backs often providing the width, allowing the number 10s to stay central.
Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze are arguably Palace's two most important players – hence their current £60m valuations – with Glasner able to utilise the duo in behind the striker, allowing them to get on the ball in some crucial areas, and further creating an overload alongside the two central midfielders and the centre-back who has pushed forward from the back.
However, he's had the greatest effect on striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, with the Frenchman thriving since Glasner's arrival at the club.
The Palace number 14 has scored eight goals in his last ten Premier League appearances, with Olise and Eze's creativity and the introduction of flying wing-backs aiding his tally.
Whilst Forest striker Chris Wood has registered 12 goals this season, Glasner's one-time potential arrival at the Reds would've allowed the New Zealand international to have further added to his tally.
Current boss Nuno has stuck to a 4-2-3-1 system throughout the majority of his time at the City Ground, with the emphasis on counter-attacking rather than dominating possession.
However, Glasner's time short time at Selhurst Park has quickly transformed the side into a dominant force, with the aim to dominate possession, create overloads and play with fluidity in attack – all traits that would've aided Wood's goalscoring record.
Five months on from the deal to bring Nuno to the East Midlands, the Forest hierarchy must wish they had listened to Syrianos, who could've appointed the perfect boss for the club. However, with three games left this season, the Tricky Trees are sweating over their top-flight status, with fans still unsure whether Nuno is the right man to lead the club forward.
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