Update is exactly what was needed
Let me start by saying that I am on these forums quite often, usually to call out what is wrong with the game and probably perceived as moaning quite a lot. But not this time, well done EA.
This is exactly what the vast majority of the community was crying out for, the casuals, the averagely skilled players such as myself.
Defending now feels much fairer and the R1 dribble nerf was sorely needed.
Kick offs are actually a huge improvement now, I've noticed the much more aggressive man marking and it works well.
The more realistic scorelines are a testament to how much better the gameplay is now, please don't listen to the content creators and elite div players who are moaning and crying that you've ruined the game (you've saved it) as they make up a tiny percentage of the playerbase.
How you have it now will retain the average gamer and attract new players too, also adding in a menu grind is a huge win too, something to do when taking a break from matches.
All in all I wanted to, for once, say well done EA. Credit where It's due, you've made a massive improvement and kept me playing.