FIFA 15 has introduced a new tactic called “Park The Bus”, which many people automatically associate with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. Unfortunately, I don’t think that this team tactic fully represents Mourinho’s setup.
Firstly: Mourinho doesn’t “park the bus” against every opponent. Instead, he chooses tactics that seek to nullify the strengths of his opponent. For example, it is extremely unlikely that Mourinho will play a defensive formation against a bottom-table side. In FIFA 15, playing “Park The Bus” against a lesser opponent will actually invite them into the game. They’ll have more time on the ball and they will begin to feel more relaxed.
Secondly, and more importantly, the “Park the Bus” tactic is an extremely risky move. You see, the problem with this tactic is that there is no offensive outlet. There is no path to a quick counter attack. So, unlike Mourinho’s team, you won’t actually provide much of an offensive threat. You’ll be pinned into your own half, your wingers will sit too deep and your striker will be left in a position that renders him useless. Basically, the “Park The Bus” tactic fails to take advantage of the opponent’s high defensive line.
This is why I prefer “Ultra Defensive”. With the “Ultra Defensive” and “Defensive” tactics, your wingers will make more of an effort at roaming forward. i.e. When you are in possession, your wingers will press a little higher, providing you with the means to launch a counter.
The great thing about playing a defensive setup is that it can invite your opponent into your half. If they are playing an attacking style of football (a lot of FIFA players do), then there’s the possibility that you can crucify them on the counter. By playing “Park The Bus”, you are actually failing to take advantage of your opponent’s high line.
It is worth noting that you must set your team up launch counter attacks by selecting the option in the custom tactics section. When I first started to play with Chelsea the Seasons mode in FIFA 15, I quickly noticed how they failed to launch any quick counter attacks. It was only when I manually corrected the situation that I was able to take advantage of the defensive tactics (I also had to instruct Diego Costa to make runs in behind the defense, just so I could launch through balls over the top – This has proven to be lethal in games where the opposition is pressed up high).
Lastly: Know when to drop the defensive tactics. If you feel as if you’re being put under too much pressure, then you should attempt switch to a Balanced style of play. Against certain opponents, the defensive tactic will provide them with too much time to pick out the passes that they want to make. By switching to Balanced, you can push your team up the field and attempt to win the midfield battle. In the past, this has worked well against opponents that are dangerous in possession. The change of “Ultra Defensive” to “Balanced” can sometimes surprise them.