Xaver Schlager is silencing Nottingham Forest doubters with all-action start | OneFootball

Xaver Schlager’s relentless start is shaping Nottingham Forest’s midfield and quickly easing early doubts.

Per NY Times, he leads Premier League midfielders with 15 tackles so far, with only Crystal Palace wing-back Anan Khalaili, on 19, ahead overall. Forest are fifth for ball recoveries with 190, including 18 by Schlager and 19 by James McAtee.

His three league starts, all with McAtee, came against Liverpool 2-2, Tottenham 0-0 and Aston Villa 2-1, facing Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo Bentancur, Sandro Tonali, Ross Barkley and Boubacar Kamara. He made the most tackles of any midfielder in each.

Oliver Glasner, his former Wolfsburg manager, has drawn on their shared pressing blueprint and says the pair have matched those opponents, often dictating midfield. At Villa Park his diagonals to Daniel Munoz repeatedly opened space, and Zion Suzuki denied him a goal.

A free signing after leaving RB Leipzig, Schlager chose the Premier League over other suitors and arrived in Portugal with a point to prove. Glasner highlights his mentality and eagerness to learn, noting extra post-session work and a rapid adaptation after a difficult end to last season and a World Cup he felt below his best.

Source: NY Times

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”