Glasner expects familiar Villa shape despite summer rebuild as Emery praises Forest boss
Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner believes Unai Emery's side retain a recognisable core, while the Villa head coach voices respect for his opposite number ahead of Saturday's meeting.
Unai Emery and Oliver Glasner exchanged respectful assessments of one another's teams on 11 September, four days before Nottingham Forest travel to Villa Park. Both managers addressed the media to preview the fixture, offering insight into how they view the opposition after a busy summer transfer window that closed on 1 September.
According to Birmingham Live, Glasner played down suggestions that Villa are an entirely new outfit despite recruiting ten fresh faces. The Forest head coach argued that the defensive unit remains largely intact, pointing out that Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres have all been regular figures alongside the established right-back. He acknowledged Ezri Konsa's departure but stressed the depth already present in that area of the pitch.
In midfield, Glasner noted the absence of Joao Gomes through suspension, as well as the injury to Amadou Onana and the exit of Youri Tielemans. However, he observed that Boubacar Kamara featured heavily last term and Ross Barkley provides experienced cover. Emiliano Buendía and John McGinn were also cited as continuing starters from the previous campaign, leading Glasner to conclude that eight of the ten outfield players most relied upon last season are still part of the group.
The Forest manager did recognise major changes further forward following the departures of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins. He referenced the arrival of Alejandro Garnacho and Alysson, alongside a young player named Hemmings who has featured prominently so far. Glasner added that Villa's build-up play against Brugge demonstrated clear structure, with goalkeeper Zion Suzuki involved in possession and capable of launching long passes to create transition threats.
Several new signings are yet to appear for Villa. Leon Goretzka and Taylor Harwood-Bellis have not made their debuts, while Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi are also waiting for their first outings. With the transfer window now shut until January 2027, Emery must integrate those arrivals using the current squad framework.
BirminghamWorld and Express & Star separately reported Emery's own pre-match thoughts, focusing on his regard for Glasner. The Villa head coach described his opposite number as a consistently difficult adversary and indicated he expects the Austrian to continue developing Forest as the season progresses. Emery's comments suggest he views Saturday's visitors as a well-organised threat regardless of any early-season adjustments.
