Nah you miss half the fun that way. To be honest, the rate of acquisition is too quick for my liking. I've already got 3 or 4 top dribblers and I've barely played much. Prefered PES 2011 in that respect as you had to progress through all the mid-range tier players for a length of time before getting someone decent in, meaning you'd appreciate them all the more. By the time you have a full squad of top class players it's not really worth playing anymore, I remember most of us getting bored when we reached that stage coupleyears ago.
Anyway, I'm grinding out a few wins now. You just have to be alert through-out, ensuring you're always covering gaps and standing your ground. Still think shooting is a touch too easy.
Also been fortunate in that I've rarely played anyone I'd consider massively assisted. Either means the matching system is working, or, assisted passing is nowhere near as effective as it once was. That may change as I come up against better teams, but for the time being pass completion rates float around 70%, which is very realistic.