Unfair AI defending imbalance and 3-second lag spikes (PC)

Hi everyone,

I have been a dedicated Ultimate Team player since 2014. As someone who is absolutely obsessed with football, this mode used to be the ideal game for me. However, I am deeply disappointed and frustrated with the current state of FC 26 on PC, to the point where I am ready to stop playing UT completely.

The main issue I am facing is a massive unfairness in AI behavior. When I am defending, my players refuse to track opponent runs. They completely ignore the attackers' movements and actively open up gaps, leaving easy passing lanes for my opponents. To be absolutely clear, my own AI never defends this way, no matter what settings I use.

On the contrary, ever since I reached Division 4, almost every opponent I face benefits from an overpowered AI assistant. Their AI automatically closes down all spaces and perfectly tracks my players' runs without them even manually controlling them. I have tried every single tactical setup, formation, and instruction available, but nothing fixes this imbalance. It feels completely out of my control.

To make matters worse, during crucial moments in almost every match, I experience severe gameplay freezing and high ms spikes for about 3 seconds. My PC specs are well above the requirements, and my internet connection is perfectly stable and fast, so this is strictly a server-side or PC optimization issue.

I am extremely frustrated and sad to see a game I have loved for over a decade become so unplayable and unfair. Is anyone else on PC experiencing this broken AI defense tracking after Division 4?

Thanks.