Thing is that a lot of us older Managers have been playing this game for several years and have seen how the game has evolved and progressed. Without a doubt the promotions and advertising have increased and it encourages you to buy things without quite being “pay to win”. This is only in keeping with other games in the marketplace. It is possible to play the game and win without spending a penny but gets increasingly more difficult the higher up you progress where you are up against managers who are savvy and know exactly what you know. Not like the inexperienced managers in the lower levels still learning.
You can only play the game as best you can. I too have been playing for over 8 years and for me it is still fun but in a slightly different way.