well, your last question; free youths, no. You recive 1 usually of 2 stars and for free, another of 3-4 stars for near 20 tokens (15-24 if I remember well) the good thing of this players is that rise very fast, I have one that with the 30% training win + than 150 experience..

Other; CL is with teams of your level. Cup is against worst, and better levels, so is more easy to win champions league. Anyway I am level 9, and have 3 cup finals and 2 of champions.

...ahhhh..-.-
if you promote, you will play at level 2.. and if you are 1st-4th will play the champions, with teams of level 2.

mmhh.. about your team, well I will say what I do, is to buy... 178? tokens and pay for Ukash or paypal cos is low price than other payment methods...
every season I buy 3 players of 6 stars (50 token everyone) and a young player of the academy....

If you are new remember that every season your players will loose 1 star, because new league have better players, so... just remember this... at now.. you win the 5th star at 25, but next level, 5 star is at 30, next 35.... to me the 5th start is at 60...
try to use this tokens to buy young players because are more easy to train.... but some people, buy old players (to use only 1 season or 2 ) with good level because some are low price and for this way you can go right too....
you have to think that, I usually can use a player during... 2-3-4 seasons, no more, because of that, loose stars and some of they are older so... players that now have 5 stars 4 you in 3 seasons maybe will have 2....

if you have a player that win experience points fast, you can use the training method of July Fourth. There is a guide in this forum, you just have to buy red and green treatments, and train this players, and they will have 6-7 or 8 stars

and don't know what to say more at now I have the 2nd match of cup at 4:30 of night and I'm alittle bit tired...
maybe about tactic,,, I use a 4-3-3 typical (not like you) and it goes right.... this season I started against the better teams of my league,and thats why I loose 3-2, 2-1 and draw 1-1 in 4 matches but now I'm 4th and I have confidence in my team to be 1st.... ...to say something more... Edgar Davids was my better player last season, now have 4 stars... and I bought another player 6 stars as a substitute... but... Davids do a goal every match or 2.... so, maybe with the time you will see that you have a good special player that save you lots of matches, don't loose players like this... bye!