Notts County 0-2 Nottingham Forest: Player ratings as Jesus & Kalimuendo score

The match at Meadow Lane rounded off Glasner’s first week in charge of the club after the players had reported for duty on Monday. Goals from Igor Jesus and Arnaud Kalimuendo secured victory over the Magpies.

Forest made a positive start against their neighbours as they saw a fair bit of the ball early on. Jesus twice got in inside the opening 20 minutes, forcing a save after being teed up by Omari Hutchinson and then going close with a header from the resulting corner.

With 26 minutes on the clock, though, the Brazilian did find the back of the net. A lovely ball from Morgan Gibbs-White set him on his way and he rolled his strike past James Belshaw to give the visitors the lead.

Hutchinson and Neco Williams tried to extend the Reds’ lead but the former had an effort charged down and his teammate was off target with a header. The hosts had a few moments of promise before the break but it was a relatively quiet 45 minutes for goalkeeper Matz Sels.

Glasner named a completely different XI for the second half as he shared the minutes around. But there was no change in Forest’s performance levels as they soon doubled their lead. Kalimuendo put his team 2-0 up when he headed in Eric da Silva Moreira’s cross.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Grady McDonnell had chances to extend the advantage, and although the hosts finished strongly it was a comfortable victory for Glasner’s side. Reds reporter Sarah Clapson gives her verdict on how the Forest players fared at Meadow Lane…

Matz Sels: Didn’t exactly have a great deal to do during the opening 45 minutes. The hosts threatened on a few occasions but never really forced the Belgian into action. Rating: 6/10

Jair Cunha: Will no doubt be hoping for plenty of minutes this coming season, given Glasner’s preference for a back three. A comfortable outing. Rating: 6/10

Nikola Milenkovic: Organised the three-man defence well enough, although they were not overly tested. Will have a big role to play whatever formation Glasner does go with for the new season. Rating: 6/10

Morato: With Murillo still not fully fit, got his opportunity to try to catch the new boss’ eye. Not the most testing of afternoons to show what he can do but did a job. Rating: 6/10

Ola Aina: Fully fit and raring to go after missing the end of last season due to injury. A positive for the Reds to have him available from the start this summer and he brought plenty of energy to proceedings. Rating: 7/10

Ryan Yates: Might well have a fight on his hands to feature regularly when the season begins, especially with midfield reinforcements on the agenda. Never write the skipper off, though, and he was as committed as always here - despite it being a friendly. Rating: 6/10

James McAtee: Took up a deeper role alongside the skipper in midfield. Glasner said the ex-Manchester City man had impressed him in his first few training sessions and he did look sharp here. Seems to have bulked up over the summer, too. Rating: 7/10

Neco Williams: Glasner was pleased to have the Welshman return early from his summer break. The Reds’ reigning Player of the Season picked up from where he left off with his usual boundless energy. Rating: 7/10

Igor Jesus: Took the opening goal really well after a couple of glimpses prior to that. A cool finish, which should act as a nice little confidence booster for the front man to start pre-season with. Rating: 8/10

Morgan Gibbs-White: Should have been in the US as part of the England squad but instead continues to make Thomas Tuchel look silly for not taking him. Peach of a pass for Jesus’ goal, as you would expect from the No.10. Rating: 8/10

John Victor: Fit again after the serious injury that sidelined him for the second half of last season. Kept a clean-sheet during his time on the pitch but didn’t look entirely convincing. Rating: 5/10

Tyler Bindon: Clearly wanted to impress the new head coach by cutting short his planned time off to link up with the Reds following his World Cup exit. Has a bright future, but it might be another loan is on the horizon. Rating: 6/10

Zach Abbott: Forest had to stand firm in the closing minutes as their opponents pushed for a goal. The youngster generally defended pretty well, though. Rating: 6/10

Omar Richards: Still on the club’s books due to a contract extension that hadn’t been made public. Wouldn’t be a surprise to see him on the move again this summer, having returned from his Rio Ave loan. Did well enough filling in as part of a back three. Rating: 6/10

Eric da Silva Moreira: Swung in a delightful cross for Kalimuendo’s goal. Given Glasner likes to play with wing-backs, the youngster will have been eager to make the most of his chance. Rating: 7/10

Nicolas Dominguez: Provided an experienced head in a relatively inexperienced second-half XI. Is stepping into some big boots wearing that No.8 shirt, following Elliot Anderson’s departure. Rating: 7/10

Grady McDonnell: The recent academy arrival was not short of confidence, directing his teammates where to play the ball. Carried himself well and can be pleased with his performance. Rating: 7/10

Luca Netz: Took to the wing-back role with ease. Looked to push forward when he had the chance but also had the energy levels to get back and defend. Rating: 7/10

Dilane Bakwa: Can Glasner be the manager to unlock the winger’s potential? He didn’t get too much of an opportunity to stake a claim for a starting spot so a big summer lies ahead. Rating: 6/10

Taiwo Awoniyi: Looked sharp in this first pre-season outing. Almost got on the scoresheet with a powerful burst forward but was denied by a strong save. Rating: 7/10

Arnaud Kalimuendo: Could he stay with the Reds? Eintracht Frankfurt want to sign him permanently after his loan spell, but his headed goal against the Magpies surely makes a case for him to stay put. Rating: 7/10

To the surprise of no one of a Forest persuasion, Morgan Gibbs-White provided a moment of magic against the Magpies. If only Thomas Tuchel had been watching.

Had the England manager any sense, he would have taken the Reds’ No.10 to the World Cup. The Three Lions’ loss is the Reds’ gain as Gibbs-White looks to have started the summer with a bit of fire in his belly.

The playmaker got a lot of love from the Forest fans when he took to the Meadow Lane pitch. Some have been concerned that Gibbs-White changing agent and his fiancee posting pictures on social media apparently indicating a house move might point to a summer transfer.

But having lost Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, the Reds are eager to keep hold of their big-hitters. And Gibbs-White showed once again just how crucial he will be for the club this coming season with a lovely assist for Jesus.

It was a superb ball for the front man to latch on to in the first half at Meadow Lane. How many times will we see that link-up this coming season?

It may be a different manager in the dugout for Forest but Gibbs-White’s importance never changes. If only Tuchel had been able to see it.

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