general What difficulty do you play at?

Superstar. I'm finding the game too easy tbh (but I'm using assisted 2 bar passing, assisted shooting etc. so I guess if I wanted more of a challenge I'd put it on manual).

I started out on Professional, but moved up to Top Player without any real problem...It's still annoying that when I'm fresh I can beat teams like Sociedad 9-1, and then lose 4-1 to *bleep*ing Almeria, who along with Racing manage to beat me every time I play them, when I'm tired...I just led the league for the whole season, and *bleep*ed it up at the end because I was tired and Madrid won it by a point...But in terms of matches against most teams, Top Player doesn't seem too different to Professional to me...It's when you play the best teams it starts to show...

Always Superstar.

I play on professional, which is starting to become easier to play at. I find defensively I am rock solid, but going forward I have more trouble. On easier difficulties, strategies that worked just wont cut it anymore, like low crossing to the near post.
Now I am playing my strikers wider (in the channels) and my wingers tighter, I find I get a lot of looks from criss-cross cuts, and by pulling defenders wide, allowing balls to be played into the gap in the centre.
I may have to bump it to top player, if I find it gets too easy to score, but I get enough rage moments at professional, that moving up now might take the fun out of the game

quote ResistanceFailure

I defend well on Professional but don't find myself scoring enough, which is the only thing stopping me from moving up in difficulty.

Though I have only been using the defaults and a few poor signings.

Sounds like me! I found at Professional, the trick is to be more patient with possession, not trying to force passes through. If you build up with fullbacks carrying the ball up, then turn the ball back into midfield, it allows your team to move up as a unit, and give you more passing options. Then it is about finding the open man by drawing the extra defender to close down the ball carrier