This happens to me once a season, so far, against a bad team, with 1-2* players.
Nothing i do, like change formation, replace a ST that missed 2 times 1 on 1 with the keeper, etc...
And in this game only, all my players get %&%&$%&% ratings.
I drew at home, 0-0 with a team that had GK's playing as MC's)
So in this case only it's all pointless.
But i don't think it doesn't matter all the time.
I can see the change in statistics, when i play "counters":
When u do that vs a good team, your players don't just start the game playing well (not for me, anyway).
You need to change something, and then it will work, a tactic, a player, change the place of the MC's between them...
And then i see the result, in the stats column.