Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen Nottingham Forest sanctioned Elliot Andersons �116m transfer to Manchester City over the summer, many expected the Tricky Trees to delve into the market to replace the England star. After all, Anderson was Forests key man last season. In a season of inconsistency in the dugout, one consistency for the Midlands side was the 23-year-olds performance levels.Forest were backed to take a chunk of the fee they received for Anderson and splurge on a new central midfielder. Lucas Bergvall was linked with a move to the City Ground. So, too, was Tijjani Reijnders. The former remained at Tottenham Hotspur, and has since signed a new deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The latter moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah.Oliver Glasners side werent necessarily forced to look from within in order to replace Anderson. However, rather than pay through the nose for a partner for Ibrahim Sangare of Xaver Schager, they opted to hand James McAtee a more prominent role as the former Crystal Palace boss sought to implement his favoured 3-4-2-1 system.The 24-year-old departed Manchester City for Forest last summer, penning a five-year deal as the Nottingham powerhouse parted with �30m to sign the midfielder. To say McAtee struggled for regular first-team football would be a huge understatement. The former City trainee started just two league matches, making a further 12 Premier League outings off the bench.Its hardly a shock that playing time was hard to come by. Anderson was thriving in the middle of the park. Captain Morgan Gibbs-White was always going to be the first name on the teamsheet. The Europa League offered McAtee a chance for minutes, as he started nine European matches, but a lack of frequent action didnt aid the Englishman. You may like Tipping Nottingham Forest for relegation is wildly inaccurate unless theres internal friction between Oliver Glasner and the hierarchy, they should be eighth to 10th City Ground legend dismisses suggestions that his old club could go down Losing Ollie Watkins could have broken Aston Villa but Nicolas Jackson has made them better "I loved him from the second I saw him" How Brentfords famous 'no d***heads' recruitment rule unearthed their latest Premier League star Now, though, hes gone on to become a mainstay in this Forest side under Glasner. 684 Premier League minutes is the fourth-most for Glasners side, with Matz Sels, Murillo (both 720) and Neco Williams (714) those to rank above McAtee. Hes taken to a role change with ease, filling the Anderson void in a way that few thought possible.Using Gradient Sports, we can truly check to see if McAtee has replaced Anderson in the middle of the park. Crucial is finding the right player to operate as an effective distributor in the midfield of Glasners ideal setup. He wants one of the two in the middle of the park to act as a ball winner and another to set the tempo in a key area.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.In his final season at Selhurst Park, Glasner had either Will Hughes or Daichi Kamada feature alongside Adam Wharton. He wanted Whartons partner to shine off the ball in order to allow the England star to maximise his vision. Schlager is carrying out this role to an impressive standard, with the summer signing averaging 4.1 tackles per 90.In terms of passing grade, Anderson ranked in the 97th percentile, with 81. By comparison, McAtee is in the 87th percentile for the same metric, with 73.9 to his name. Anderson, though, was very much the heartbeat of this side and had moulded his game accordingly to suit the needs of whichever manager was at the City Ground helm.For context, McAtee has been forced to adapt his game to suit Glasners demands. Last season in particular, a bulk of his starts came in a more attacking role, either through the middle or out wide. Hes not yet matching Anderson, but has made a fine start. What to read next How �100m transfer failure and Chelsea greed has unlocked Everton's PFA Young Player of the Year bid The West Bromwich Albion star making use of a Chelsea academy springboard and Englands maligned loan system Aston Villa might have replaced Morgan Rogers without spending a penny Whats key is that McAtee matches the one-touch passing gameplan that Wharton is famed for. The England star is renowned for his ability to take minimal touches before shifting possession on. McAtee is living up to that standard, and then some, with his one-touch passing grade sat at 73.3, which in itself is in the 87th percentile in Englands top tier this term. Last season, Anderson managed a grade of 73.4, a return that was in the 86th percentile in the 2025/26 Premier League season.Anderson (643) managed more one-touch passing events than McAtee is managing in 2026/27 (122) but again - the latter has been forced to adjust his game.Another key factor in McAtee replacing Anderson is the off-ball work. While there is a designated ball winner in the side, both midfielders need to pull their weight in a key area. This is where McAtee lets himself down a touch, with a tackling grade of 56.3 ranking in the 16th percentile. Anderson ranks far higher, with 72.7 in the 79th percentile for tackling grade.In a 50/50 duel grade, McAtee is the one who fares better when it comes to winning possession against an opponent, 79 to Andersons 67.8, meaning youd back the former to come out on top in a simultaneous opportunity to gain control of a loose or contested ball. Theres room for improvement, but McAtee is certainly on the right track.So whether its clear that McAtee has fully replaced Anderson in the midfield, he has to an extent. Whats noticeable, though, is that McAtee has altered his game to play that Wharton quarter-back role. 102 forward passes is fourth for Forest. Remove the goalkeeper and centre-backs, and he jumps to top. Hes second to Gibbs-White for chances created (16). When Forest win the ball, they get it upfield quickly. Only Manchester United (15) have had more shots following a counter-attack than Glasners side (14) in the 2026/27 Premier League season.The players have quickly bought into Glasners gameplan, even if the results havent quite gone their way. A xG underperformance of 10.28 is far and away the biggest in the Premier League. 16.28 xG generated is the third most in the division. Once it clicks, then Glasners side will move away from danger. And McAtee, as both a hybrid Anderson replacement combined with a new-age Wharton, is at the heart of everything Forest are now doing. 31 per cent of their attacks come through the middle of the pitch, the joint highest such proportion in the league, in part due to McAtee.Its been quite the change in fortunes for a midfielder who wasnt getting a look in last season.TOPICSNottingham ForestPremier LeagueBen McAleerSocial Links NavigationBen is a freelance football expert with over 15 years of experience in the field, ranging from stats, to betting, to transfer analysis, to news, and everything in between. Having departed esteemed football stats website WhoScored.com in 2025, he has been touring the freelance circuit, and has been featured on The Guardian, The Independent, Sky Sports, The Premier League, TNT Sports, ESPN, Squawka and talkSPORT, among others.
