I'm experiencing the opposite. Only finished 5th in my first season, but trained my boys up well, always training them as soon as they are fit enough, I also use friendlies to get the reserves playing so they will get top up points - I sell any player who isn't rating well over a few games and buy sensible. I have bought a couple of scout players which help loads - 6 games in and I'm sitting fairly comfortably on top.
I use a 3-1-4-2 formation.
Attachment 6459
Cup game tonight [less than 30 minutes away actually] where I'm facing a full on scouted team. Oh well ... He's paid a lot for his win.
[edit] Won the cup game 6-3, woohooo! :D