Thanks for the thoughtful reply. You're absolutely right about the team quality level. Ever since I started playing i've acheived promotion each season so didnt account for the fact there is no quality loss if you remain in the same division.

Yeah the buffing of non attending teams is a real bummer. Happened again yesterday where i lost a cup tie and a league match against inferior unattended teams. It just sucks that given the thought and consideration we put in training, formation and squad composition that we have to strongly consider not participating in the product that we spent so much time on. If making in match tactical changes is going to be a punishable offense than whats the whole point of this game besides just being another text based management simulator??