Not as hard as whining about it. If you are maxing your skill points before the start of every season, you will be placed vs. harder opponents. It's also why I chose to leave my Q average at 29.9 before the start of my 5th season. It's currently at 34.6 with 7 players 29 or lower. My league is a joke and my cup and CL are all winnable. Learn about the game's intricacies before you whine about how it "should" be. The only benefit to placement in higher league and cup levels compared to your manager level is the increased financial gain and more competitive matches.