1. Don't worry about losing games early on, things take time such as players gelling and getting used to the formation.
2. Don't spent too much too soon, this leads on from the first point. You might finish well one season then spend 200mil on players completely destroy any fluidity your team had and struggle for 3 months.
3. Player attributes are much more in depth, learn what is affecting players and how. Just because a ST has 18 finishing doesn't mean he'll be all that great infront of goal. Creativity, Decisions, Composure, Technique and numerous other little factors come into play.
Like Fragnet said, 20 pace and 20 flair doesn't make a player great, this isn't FM12.
4. Either start with a team you know and like or aim for one of the bigger teams in an easier league. Porto are a prime example of this, good system in place, solid team and a fairly easy league.
5. Backroom staff are important, go through all the squad options and check who's doing what and how good they are. Better couches improve player development, better scouts give more reliable reports etc