But it's not against the rules that Nordeus have laid down. Nordeus allows managers to set up teams and then not attend. Nordeus allows managers to set up team formations how they wish (as managers in real life teams are allowed to do). Nordeus sets the times of the matches and then allows the home manager to change the match time if he wishes/has to.
Why should managers get punished for not attending matches if work or other RL events (like sleep) prevent them from doing so? If they don't attend, they don't get a possession bonus, or the opportunity to change the team if the match is going away from them, and that in itself should be sufficient punishment most of the time.
Why should managers be punished (further) for playing 'illegal formations' when the match engine does that perfectly well itself? You don't see the referee at Chelsea v Arsenal stop the match because Arsene Wenger had lined up all his players on the right wing and say 'you can't do that, two penalties to Chelsea'...
Why should we go through the task of setting up our match times when we have the facility for changing (home) match times if we want to? The EPL managers don't get a sheet saying here's your fixtures for the season, when do you want to play them?
Most of what you are saying in your initial diatribe is just a rant against perceived injustice. I have two teams, one in it's 34th season, the other in its 11th season. They've played upwards of 1400 matches in that time, and the situation you describe (0-0 against bottom place) (or worse, a defeat) has happened about a dozen times in all those matches.
For the rest of it, try the 'Suggestions' forum.
It's called football, and it happens in RL as well. You just have to ride with the knock, post in the Vent thread*, and get on with the next match.
Or as the anonymous learned philosopher once said, "**** happens."
* http://forum.topeleven.com/top-eleve...hread-3-a.html