I think a lot of the negative feedback or frustration is more due to ongoing sore spots that appear year after year than an overall poor game. Things like easy tackling/pressure and a rather straightforward & shallow manager mode experience. There are some fabulous pieces in place, particularly with the controls/animations/etc, but they just can't put it all together for some.
Personally, I'm taking a FIFA break for now, but I've been playing the series a lot since FIFA08. I'm sure I'll pick it back up at some point... it's still a great multiplayer experience if you play with the right people.