Ellie Carpenter Scout Report At Lyon Féminin 2019/20 – Player Analysis

Olympique Lyon might not be playing domestic football at the moment but their transfer plans are in full swing.

After reportedly tying up Dzenifer Marozsan and Sarah Bouhaddi to long term contracts, next on the list is former Manchester City defender Lucy Bronze.

However, Lyon are activating their contingency plan by moving to sign Ellie Carpenter from Portland Thorns.

The young defender now joins up as an understudy to Bronze with a view to taking over in case the England international decides to leave at the end of her contract.

This scout report will examine Carpenter’s skillset and understand how she will fit into Olympique Lyon Feminin’s setup.

Ellie Carpenter Player Profile

Before we can dive deep into the specifics of Carpenter’s role at Lyon, we must understand her role as a player.

The 20-year-old is a marauding right-back who plays as an attacking full-back for both club and country.

Playing in the W-League has given Carpenter the opportunity to play for both Portland Thorns and Melbourne City.

The experience of playing in two leagues is one of the reasons that made her an attractive option for Lyon.

Being such an attack-minded full-back, Carpenter’s skillset is geared towards her dribbling, crossing, and output in the final third putting her attributes around positioning, movement, attacking intelligence, and off the ball movement. 

Melbourne City utilised a wing-back focused formation while Portland Thorns and Australia National Team have used a more orthodox four-man system, which gives Carpenter the flexibility to play in both systems.

Though her skillset is more suited to a wing-back system, Carpenter is equally adept playing as a traditional right-back because of her incredible speed and athleticism.

The Australian has been a revelation for both clubs and will now be looking to improve her game playing under Bronze.

The next portion of this tactical analysis will detail her strengths and weaknesses in all three phases of play: attacking, transitional, and defensive phases.

Ellie Carpenter Attacking Phase

Carpenter’s attacking focus is primarily driven by her speed and ability in the final third.

As with most full-backs, Carpenter is adept at most attacking traits and slots into both of the systems she has played in.

Both Portland Thorns and Melbourne City have been dominant forces in their respective leagues with Melbourne City having won the W-League Premiership and Championship for 2020.

This dominant play style aids Carpenter to play her natural attacking game because of the possession-based football the team can afford to play.

Ellie Carpenter Heat Map

Carpenter’s heat map above is a true representation of her positioning on the pitch.

It’s clear to see her attacking intent and her preference to stay wide and put in crosses. When she reaches the final third, Carpenter assesses the situation and looks to find the right cross into the 18-yard box.