Oliver Glasner turns James McAtee into a new Forest ‘quarterback’

Oliver Glasner arrived at Nottingham Forest after departing Crystal Palace and tried to recreate the 3-4-2-1 that worked so well at Selhurst Park. A key part of it is the pair of central midfielders he describes as “quarterbacks”: smart defensively, but also influential and creative in attack.

To build a Forest version of the Adam Wharton role, Glasner’s solution has been James McAtee. The midfielder had been treated as a forgotten man at the City Ground, despite arriving from Manchester City.

McAtee’s £30m move came with very little opportunity last season: he started only two Premier League games, and the article notes that four Forest managers didn’t really give him a real chance. Now he’s found a place in Glasner’s setup, with a position change taking him from a traditional No 10 profile to the central “quarterback” duties.