I still feel a frustrating imbalance between my own gameplayand that of the AI. It might be me of course, but I don't think I'm a bad player. On 2011 and previous games I played on either Professional or Top Player. At the moment I'm having to go way down to regular and still getting outplayed each game. It's not LOSING that's necessarily the problem, but that even when I win the AI abilities are much better than my own. For example... I was playing a game as Barcelona vs. Ajax. I was getting thoroughly outplayed. My passes were failing alot - the recipients didn't read my intentions correctly and would falter in their runs turning to look for the ball. My attempts at dribbling were invariably being snuffed out with excellent tackles and I every 50/50 challenge and every loose ball was being won by them. THEN, I switched teams, so I was controlling Ajax, to see if it my idea that the AI automatically outplays you was true. It was essentially the same. Everything I had been attempting as Barcelona, the AI were now able to do. Players reacted and understood more intricate passing patterns, dribblers couldn't be forced off the ball - they'd retain possession by means of supreme agility, strength or accuracy. So the point here is, even when you deliberately choose a superior team, it is irrelevant. It seems that human controlled players are inferior, no matter who they are, no matter who they're against.
My last 4 or so games have caused this frustration. I just felt like smashing a weak team for enjoyment rather than challenge, and then I get beaten 5-1 as England against Denmark, 3-0 as Barcelona against Ajax, to name but a few.