If your team is usually attacking mind, I think you should study how to use more defensive approach to win matches.

As you won 17+ games in most seasons while failing to claim league title, I believe that most of your league opponents are weak. Only a few of them are true competitors to your team. In such cases, results against these teams decide league winners. I think that you likely use attacking approach in most matches as most of these opponents are weaker than your team. But attacking approach may not be good against stronger team. You may lack the experience to adopt more defensive approach to win matches. If that's true, you study using defensive approach.

In matches that your team is clear favorite, your team is active side that counter formation is not too meaningful. In contrast, in close matches or in matches that your team is weaker, your team is passive and counter formation become important. Besides, in these matches, if I can identify players of opponent which has significantly more star or exceptionally high in rating, I will adjust my formation to put more players nearby him. For example, if opponent has a strong ML, I often put a DMR and AMR as my starters. Sometimes, I may even pull back my AMR to ML to further reduce the opponents ML getting the ball. If my team is weaker, destruction is more important than construction.

BTW, in my opinion, I don't think all managers really gain advantages to watch in T11 matches. Only those managers who can key judgement and critical change during live match do.