Lisa Naalsund at Manchester United Women 2023/24: How she can become a vital cog in the Red Devils’ midfield – scout report

Lisa Naalsund is actually one of Norway’s most talented players at the moment. She can be considered one of the players Manchester United Women are counting on to provide the necessary addition during the next few seasons. She is a 28-year-old midfielder who started playing football as a senior player since 2012 at Arna-Bjørnar in Norway before moving to Brann in 2019 and then flying to England to join the Red Devils in the WSL since January 2023 for a three-and-a-half-year contract.

Although her debut was not very positive, and injuries delayed her participation with the team, Naalsund is expected to have more regular playing time this season and show her real value to everyone, especially if she gets the needed playing time from the coaching staff headed by Marc Skinner.

This tactical analysis and scout report will explore Naalsund’s defensive, playmaking, and goalscoring traits. At the same time, the analysis will include a section that looks at Naalsund’s possible positions and roles within Manchester United’s tactics and squad.

Positions and possible roles at Manchester United

Naalsund is basically a midfielder who can play in different areas in midfield but can do very well as a defensive midfielder thanks to numerous aspects, mainly her physical strength, height, and the fact that she used to be a handball player when she was younger. Handball is definitely a more physical game than football, and it is a sport that focuses a lot on duels, anticipation, and aggressivity.

By playing handball, Naalsund has acquired these key characteristics that allow her to shine as a defensive midfielder. This position requires much attention, aggressivity, engaging in duels, especially in the defensive phase, and anticipating passes as often as possible to make valuable interceptions and help launch counter-attacks.

Hayley Ladd, Katie Zelem, Irene Guerrero, and Hinata Miyazawa are Naalsund’s rivals for the starting spot while also being her teammates. For instance, forming a defensive duo with Guerrero would guarantee more defensive balance, as both Naalsund and Guerrero are excellent enough from a defensive perspective. The same applies to the Ladd-Naalsund duo, too.

And in games when the team needs more attacking support and less defensive worry, Zelem-Naalsund or Miyazawa-Naalsund would be the more required duos to provide the necessary playmaking addition and join the final third more often.

The following heatmap shows that Naalsund played in front of the defence as a defensive midfielder more often than in any other position, even though she often plays as a central midfielder and can be very useful in this position. Naalsund is not just a defensive player but can provide accurate passes with an average of 78.2% per match. Her attacking contribution is valuable, and Manchester United should exploit her attacking/playmaking traits even if they will always play her as a defensive midfielder. 

Playmaking and goalscoring abilities

Regarding goalscoring, Naalsund has a relatively excellent sense of goal and usually brings a lot of danger when she receives the ball in dangerous areas. With a powerful shooting ability and a tendency to go for shots from distance, she is a midfielder who can score without needing too many circumstances to be in her favour.

All she needs is to receive the ball near the box and have a little room for shooting. Her determination to score and confidence when executing the action often make her shots more dangerous, knowing that she does not just aim for power but also precision. Combining power and precision has always been a complicated task. Yet, Naalsund appears to excel in terms of shooting from distance with power while succeeding in directing the ball toward angles that goalkeepers can’t always reach.