For Nottingham Forest, the interesting part of Wednesday's 2-1 friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen was not just the result. It was the way James McAtee was used, and what Oliver Glasner's comments suggest about where Forest may be trying to take him next.
McAtee completed a £30million move to Nottingham Forest last year, but his first season at the City Ground was defined more by promise than by steady opportunity. He started only two Premier League games and came off the bench 12 times, which left him on the margins for long stretches. Now Glasner is trying to change that by working him into a deeper midfield role, where McAtee can influence the rhythm rather than simply arrive late in the final third.
A different kind of responsibility
Glasner said McAtee has surprised him since he arrived, pointing to his work rate, physicality and ability to read the game. That is a notable shift in emphasis. McAtee has long been seen as a technical attacker, but Forest appear to be exploring whether he can help control possession as well as break lines. Glasner described him as a player who can dictate when the team goes quickly forward or when it should stay in possession, and that is not language usually reserved for a fringe attacker.
There is also a practical reason for the experiment. Forest are still searching for a more direct replacement for Elliot Anderson, and last season they often used Morgan Gibbs-White in the No 10 role enough that McAtee was reduced to a bit-part role. If Glasner can trust McAtee deeper in midfield, Forest gain another way to fit his quality onto the pitch without forcing the team to play through a crowded attacking lane.
The Leverkusen match offered a glimpse of why that idea has merit. Glasner highlighted one sliding tackle in front of the dugout as evidence that McAtee's work in training is carrying over into games. He also suggested the midfielder has the awareness to act as a kind of quarterback, setting the tempo and helping the midfield duo attack the box. That matters because it shows the role is not just about defensive effort. It is about whether McAtee can connect phases and give Forest cleaner control in matches where space is limited.
Why the change matters
McAtee's summer work on building his physique also fits the picture. A deeper role usually asks for more duels, more repeat actions and more contact, so the physical side is part of the story as well. He was expected to arrive on a high after captaining England Under-21s to European Championship success, and Forest are clearly trying to turn that momentum into something more useful at club level.
The key question is whether this is a short-term experiment or the beginning of a more permanent solution. Forest do not need McAtee to become a different player entirely, but they do need a version of him who can do more than wait between the lines. If Glasner's read is right, McAtee may end up being more valuable as a connector than as a pure attacking accessory.
That would be a meaningful development for a 23-year-old who has spent much of his Forest career waiting for the right role to open up. The talent has never really been in doubt. What Glasner seems to be testing now is whether the fit can finally catch up with it.
