Giving players personal advice and duties.

[KenoticFC]

This could be the missing link in my opinion to make this a proper managing experience game also with the team captain having more influence.
You could give your player a specific opposing player to mark. If he has a yellow card and you don't want him to get a 2nd one you can order him to make less tackles (I don't know why but my AMC always get booked without any reason, it is not his job to defend) and I want to tell him that but I can't. Arrows are the only separate orders that we give to our players so adding something more will give more depth to the game especially for us that are very familiar already.
Even if these features are mostly visual, we are already used to this but at least it will enhance the experience.

It sounds crazy but we get attached to our player and having this would make it like we are giving them orders directly.
Also it would be a great idea to have a hyperlink system similar to FIFA. Last season 80% of my goals and assists came from my ST and AMC which means some sort of hidden chemistry exist between them,. A visual increase in attack bonus or skills during the match can make our teams look more realistic during the match, like Messi, Suarez and Neymar (PSG now) or Ronaldo and whoever his team mates are when they play together