Low Block Tactic: FM22 Park The Bus Tactic with Leicester City

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The FM22 Park the bus tactic is a defensive tactic in football, Football Manager defined it as a tactic that “Players will look to get behind the ball and protect their defensive third, focusing more on the shut out than on possession”. Hence in this post, I will cover a custom park the bus tactic that I formed with Leicester City, this tactic fetched me good results as my team sits 5^th on the table after 19 matches.

Even though I tried the tactic with only Leicester city, I think it can work with teams like Wolves, Brentford, Atletico Madrid, Verona, Real Betis, AS Roma and Strasbourg – or you can always try it with the team of your choice. With no further ado let’s dive into the tactical details.

FM22 Park The Bus Tactic: Tactical Instructions

Build Up

Building up from behind is not very effective rather taking direct kicks works better. When my goalkeeper takes the direct kicks, my players align themselves at the centre in a 4-4-2 shape. My side focuses play down the left and down the right sides of the pitch.

We use more direct passes during the build and our ball movements are at lower tempos. In the final third, I instructed my team to look for overlap at the left and underlap at the right – this is due to my left fullback being a wing-back while my right fullback is an inverted wing-back.

Attacking

Our attacking width is standard. Counterattacks are our attacking lethal weapons, which means every defensive decision leads to counter-attacks. Our counter-attacks are direct counterattacks. While transiting to attacks, I instructed the team to stay more disciplined in their position. As we approach the final third, we shoot on sight or hit early crosses.

Defending

Our defensive shape is 4-4-2. We defend narrower to force the opposition outside. When my players lose the ball, they have the option to regroup or counter-press to win the ball – normally regrouping is supposed to be the ideal strategy for a park the bus tactic but regrouping doesn’t fetch good results for the team.

We press at a standard pressing intensity, and then we employ a lower line of engagement and lower defensive line to support the press. Marking the opponents tighter is also important in the tactic and it works – but getting stuck in during brings about more fouls and red cads.

Formation Setups

First team

Other Teams

Role Selections

GK

Kasper Schmeichel is a sweeper keeper on defend duty.

CDs

Caglar Soyuncu and Daniel Amartey: Soyuncu and Amartey are central defenders on defend duties. They just stop opponents from penetrating the box and clear out through ball. The two lay off simple passes to the midfielders.

FBs

Luke Thomas: Thomas is a wing-back on support duties. He stays wide when the team gets forward, looking for overlap passes and then crosses the ball often from there.

Ricardo Pereira: Pereira is an inverted wing-back on support. He sits narrow when the team gets forward and attacks from inside. At times he completes the midfield as a midfielder.

DMs

Onyinye Ndidi: Ndidi is a half-back. He drops deeper to recycle possession and protect the defence against counterattacks.

Youri Tielemans: Tielemans is a roaming playmaker. He is the chief playmaker from the deeper position. He helps to dictate tempos, recycles possession and also protects the defence.

Nampalys Mendy: In the absence of Ndidi, I use Mendy as half-back but in the presence of Ndidi and the absence of Tielemans, I use Mendy as Segundo Volente(support). As Segunde Volente, He will get forward to support the attacks as well as tracking back to aid defensively.

AMs

James Maddison: Maddison is an advanced playmaker on support duty. While Tielemans does his playmaking at deeper positions, Maddison will do his at the advanced position by creating goalscoring chances higher up the field.

Kelechi Iheanacho: When I use Iheanacho in this position, I make him a shadow striker to help lead the attacking lines.

Ws

Harvey Barnes: Barnes is an inverted winger on support duty. He cuts inside from there into the attacking third, to open up space for overlapping Thomas.

Ademola Lookman: Lookman is a winger on support duty. He hugs the touchline, ready to beat his marker and cross the ball often from there.

Kelechi Iheanacho: When I use Iheanacho as a right-winger, he is a raumdeuter. He will work as a wide striker from there.

CF

Jamie Vardy: Vardy is a poacher. He will sit on the shoulder of the last defender, plus he has the pace to run past the defenders and attack the ball.

Team Mentality

At Home, positive, attacking and very attacking mentalities can work. For below-average teams, I prefer a positive mentality. For average teams, I prefer an attacking mentality. For top teams, I prefer a very attacking mentality.

On Away, a balanced mentality works best.