Nottingham Forest happy to pay Oliver Glasner ‘buy-out’ amid ‘volatile’ situation

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner will not have his future protected at all by his bumper contract at the City Ground. 

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that owner Evangelos Marinakis will have no qualms about paying the Austrian off if he decides that a change is needed.

Glasner only joined the Reds in the summer, but is already under pressure after a run of just one win from the opening six Premier League games. 

Wyness is adamant that the 52-year-old deserves more time to get things right at the City Ground, but acknowledged that he is also operating in a “volatile” environment. 

Glasner has regularly spoken out against decisions from the ownership at his previous clubs, and that is unlikely to go down well at Forest if he ever takes that route.

Marinakis is known for having an abrasive personality, and another early-season sacking is not beyond possibility at the moment. 

‘Evangelos Marinakis can’t lose his temper again’

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Marinakis cannot afford to “lose his temper” and sack another boss so early into a season.

However, with the Reds about to embark on a £790million stadium redevelopment, Wyness has no doubts whatsoever that Glasner’s compensation package will feel far more insignificant as a result.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the Scottish businessman explained why the Forest boss is not protected by his hefty contract in any way.

“It'll happen regardless because, as I say, the big numbers involved around the stadium of over £700m of investment make any manager’s buy-out feel pretty small,” he said.

“But I don't think knee-jerk reactions are the way to get something going. I think you've got to give a manager more time. I'm a big believer in that. And I think it would be wrong for Marinakis to lose his temper again.

“It won't be the money, but he's got to be able to just hopefully calm down and give Glasner a chance. Glasner is a good manager. But we said at the start of the season, watch out for these two mixing because they're both volatile characters.

“It won't be the money that will stop anything. It's got to be the belief that he's got to sit down and talk to Glasner and they both work out a way to understand what the problems are.”

Nottingham Forest waiting for 'familiar' face before Oliver Glasner sack

Wyness also told Football Insider that Marinakis is likely to turn to a "familiar" face once again if he opts to change away from Glasner.

The boardroom expert believes that the Greek likes to appoint bosses that he either has previous experience of working with, or has grown to know through football.

Wyness feels that Marinakis won't sack Glasner without having an immediate replacement lined up, regardless of how bad results get.

Forest have endured a troubled start to the season, but Wyness is certain that Glasner deserves more time to steady the ship.