Chris1966, your frustration amazes me. You get a FREE game - and you expect it to be like a premium fully paid product.
It's natural that whoever spends money on this, has some advantage, fully understandable from the point of view of people who made it for profit.
Managers not showing up? Maybe they're working/sleeping at that moment and spending time on the game whenever they feel like it. Why should the victory depend on the manager's presence?
Losing to weaker teams happens a lot and it's discussed here in great detail, there are other factors determining victory and maybe wrong tactics or distribution of player's skill points is the case here?
If you need a game where you can always win, think of games where you play against AI - it's simply not possible for all human players to win simultaneously.
Think of the game as what it really is - a free game where it's possible that you win and possible that you lose.
I enjoy the game as it is, and it's a nice way to relax after work and bigger problems to worry about.
Anyway, good luck and all the best to you!