The game, is basically reactive, always has been like this. It basically is like a puzzle game, that select options in ON-OFF to determine what matters in a particular match scenario.
But there's many people, trying to find out a real tactical sense at what happens in the simulation, and this, as said, never existed. I think we were talking about this many time ago Tactician, to understand the game, you need to be the game xD
This never, never has been about a simulation in a tactical/logical 1vs1 sense, is not like this. Some orders, will give adv' to you. And another group, without any relation or sense with what u choose, will give the bar possession Adv' to your oppo.
It can be a sub', it can be, that game has selected Normal mentality, for u, as a key factor for that scenario, it can be, that you'll have 2 FKs and your previous job is, to find the correct man for that position, etc.
This variability, is determined by the last match ratings, which choose,in the upcoming match, how the scenario will do the players simplification. The game will check your 11, probably, will choose your key players, to appear, and the players with variable rating, will alternate the performance, been important and more decisive after a rating decrease... you can see these patterns, on those players that have 6-8-6-7-6 and try to guess who, will improve it's performance, knowing that, the simulation, works like this.
It is so extense, but, yeah, you can "be the game". xD