"Timing" for all sorts of things ...

[StormJH1]

Yeah, I just want to supplement some of what natural320 wrote, in general terms. I'm not particularly good with the skill moves yet, but I've started to use them to get around people in midfield with skilled players. However, like he said, I'm not even sure how necessary they really are, since you can use pure speed to get around guys, and it's entirely possible to shield guys off the ball with body position even if they catch up to you.

Momentum is everything in this game. If you receive a ball in the box and try to shoot from a standstill, not only will it be a weak shot, but it's going to be extremely inaccurate. I try to use speedy wing players to get around the defense and then kick a through ball back towards an oncoming striker or midfielder. This ensures that the pass won't be offside, and also allows them to run into their kick at full speed.

I try the aerial stuff a lot, but I'd be interested to read as much analysis of it as possible b/c my success rate is pretty terrible. The "early cross" method is great because it allows me to put the ball exactly where I want in the air, but I think I fundamentally do not understand how to shoot headers b/c they very rarely end up on net.

And as for the players giving up on the ball problem, it is frustrating, but the game actually does switch control to the intended receiver fairly early. If you're kicking a long through or lob ball, you can take control of the receiver prematurely and bring him back to the ball or start running. As you said, they often do know what they're supposed to do on their own.