I'm liking this game but still struggling on the basics

Thanks to helpful people here and in the steam forum, some basic youtube videos, I'm starting to find my feet with this game, but 4 seasons in and I feel like I'm hitting a tactical wall...

I got promoted in season 1, avoided promotion season 2 on purpose. Won the prestige cup in season 3 (penalties in the final) but worse in the league this time, and currently top 5 with a few games to go in season 4.

Not really so bad eh?

But I have realised, practically every goal I score comes from the same tactic. "Kick-off, break-in, shoot (or win penalty)."

My guys can never have an opening for Cannon Shot. On the ultra-rare occasion I have a player in a spot to deliver a cross, no-one is in the perfect spot to head it. My forwards always have a 50 to 60 point deficit in shooting vs the defender/keeper. I get 2 maybe 3 corners **per season** despite using Power shot much, much more often than Precision. I had an AM with Nutmeg, and I finally gave up hope of him ever getting into the exact right place and still have an action point left.

I just can't score from open play - every turn I Press, Tackle and if I still have a 3rd action left I Hold (rarely works) or lump it up field and have to repeat the process next turn.

So it does get a bit worrying that I can only score through one player all season long.

At the other end of the pitch I more or less do ok, but I concede 2- 3, sometimes 4 corners **per game** and that's where my losses and their 90th minute equalizers come from. There must be some technique for conceding fewer corners but I cannot come up with it on my own.

Anyway, thanks for reading my woes if you made it this far. Maybe I just need to be told this is all perfectly normal and I need to just hang in there a few more seasons to buy Coach upgrades and then my options will open up a bit more....