Oliver Glasner does not want Nottingham Forest turning their City Ground struggles into a mental battle.
With Tottenham Hotspur arriving on Saturday, the Forest boss has delivered a clear message to his players: stop obsessing over the record and concentrate on playing football.
Forest have endured a difficult run in front of their home supporters, winning just one of their last 12 Premier League matches at the City Ground.
The situation has already followed them into the new campaign.
Forest opened the season with consecutive home defeats in the Premier League and Carabao Cup before producing a valuable 1-1 draw away to Liverpool last weekend.
Now, with Spurs next on the schedule, Glasner knows the pressure to finally deliver a home victory could become an unwanted distraction.
Rather than allowing his players to become consumed by the statistics, the Austrian wants them to attack the match naturally and trust their ability.
“Sometimes if you want it too much it goes the opposite way,” he said. “Play the best football we can play and then we have the best chance to get the win.
“The most important thing is not to think about records too much in a positive or negative way. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
That approach could prove crucial against Tottenham, who are also searching for consistency after a summer of major investment.
Spurs have strengthened heavily but have yet to find their rhythm under Roberto De Zerbi.
They suffered league defeats against Brentford and Newcastle, failing to score in either match.
For Forest, that creates an intriguing contest between two sides still searching for their best version.
Glasner is expecting Tottenham to pose a serious tactical challenge, particularly because of the depth of options available to De Zerbi.
“They have many options,” Glasner said of Spurs. “They have invested massively in their squad and that makes it difficult to know who will probably start. On the other side, [Roberto] De Zerbi has a clear way he plays with his teams.
“That makes it a little bit easier to prepare. The patterns are very obvious. He has a certain way of playing and I think we can see in some situations they are doing very well and in others not everything is settled. It takes time with new signings.”
Forest will therefore need to balance aggression with patience.
Tottenham’s attacking options could make the visitors dangerous, but De Zerbi’s side are still adapting to new players and a demanding tactical system.
For Glasner, the priority is simple. Forest must avoid allowing their home record to dictate their mindset before the first whistle.
The City Ground has been a difficult venue for Forest recently, but Saturday offers another opportunity to change that narrative.
Instead of chasing the result from the opening minute, Glasner wants his players to chase the performance.
If Forest can produce the quality they showed in spells against Liverpool, the pressure surrounding their home form could quickly begin to disappear.
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