James McAtee emerges as Glasner's midfield general at Nottingham Forest

From forgotten man to creative hub

James McAtee has gone from limited opportunities at Nottingham Forest to becoming a central part of Oliver Glasner's midfield plans, emerging as the Austrian's new "midfield quarterback." A deeper role under Glasner has unlocked the 23-year-old, who is already among the Premier League's most creative players.

McAtee arrived from Manchester City for a reported £30 million and made only two Premier League starts last season. Under Glasner's four-man defensive setup, the change in position has transformed his influence, turning a player starved of minutes into a focal point of Forest's build-up play.

His performance against former club Crystal Palace sets up a fascinating tactical duel with Adam Wharton as Glasner's revamped Forest prepare to face the south London side in a charged atmosphere. The subplot adds spice to a reunion already loaded with emotion given Glasner's return to Selhurst and the feud between the two clubs.

For a Forest side that cycled through four managers and finished 16th last season, McAtee's emergence is precisely the kind of progress Glasner pointed to when he warned owner Evangelos Marinakis there would be no quick fix — only, in his words, things "going in the right direction."