Ideas
Just started playing the game about a week ago and I thought I somehow ended up downloading TEMU-Soccer 26, where actual working AI is an optional DLC, arriving approximatelly in the next 12 months....
The gameplay feels completely off compared to FC 25... don't mind a smarter AI punishing bad passes or dribblings but OP is right the defensive AI plays 4D-Chess while the player is struggling to even find his Checkers stones.
I cannot count how often I felt that through balls in particular where intercepted too often...the AI relentlessly plays passing lanes and reacts to fast to player input.
On offense?! Well the light is on but no one is home...the AI is to busy passing the ball, mostly in their own half or near the middle of the pitch seemingly uninterested to attack. Crossing? Nah...Dribbling?! Just a little but let's not do anything wild...Shooting on goal?!!! Yes, but very rarely posing little threat. It also feels like the AI is getting bored of keeping possesion because after a while they'll lose it via a really dumb pas or dribbling and just hand the ball over.
FC 26 is frustrating and infuriating to play...it also feels like the AI is not really working as intended, atleast in single player Manager Career.