Where possible, try to match Player Instructions to your player's Preferred Moves. For example, my Southampton team plays a short-passing possession game but James Ward-Prowse has 'Likes To Switch Play Often' and 'Tries Long-Range Passes' both listed among his Preferred Moves. So with him playing as a Deep-Lying Playmaker, I tell him to play More Direct Passes so he can switch the play to the left flank when we get blocked on the right, and vice-versa - all the better to utilise the pace of the wingers. Then I trained younger players who rotated into the same position to give them the same Preferred Move, so I can play the same way even when JW-P isn't available.
I have an Advanced Forward who likes to place shots, so I tell him to Move Into Channels to maximise his opportunities to do that; I have a world-class Trequartista/Advanced Playmaker who can dribble at pace, so I tell him to Dribble More - and I altered his role further after watching what was working for him during the match animation. When I play a tall Complete Forward, I get the wingers to Float Crosses and Aim Crosses At Target Man. Luke Shaw used to get forward and then always pass square, so I now instruct him to Cross More Often.
Get to know your players' Preferred Moves; train them to have whichever PMs suit or complement the way you want the team to play - get as many round pegs in round holes as you can across your formation. And think about how pairs of players will interact across the field. If I want Luke Shaw to overlap down the left-wing on attacking mode, then the guy in-front at AM_L should be a right-footed Inside Forward_Support who Sits Narrower so he can combine with Shaw and get into the area for his cross. The Shadow Striker in the No.10 position works best with a Deep-Lying Forward in-front of him. If my right-sided AM is on attack duty, then my right-back will break his neck if I try to get him to overlap, so the DR is on Support duty. If you want to play a possession-based game, get the Goalkeeper to Pass Shorter and Distribute To Defenders, etc.
