The effect of subs is outrageous and need to be looked at if a decent team is within 2 lvls of you it is an almost guaranteed loss if you are not online and they make subs. This has to be addressed. Best way would probably be automatic subs

I sort of agree. But as has been pointed out before there has to be some advantage to being online.
I would favour a preprogrammed 2-3 subs as a half way house. That way it still gives advantage to those who are online but doesn't mean you get completely battered if you can't be there for the game.

I totally disagree. If no "coaches" are at the game to inform the officials they want to make substitutions then substitutions can not be made as in the real game. If it is an important game, either make sure you are online at the time or at least put on a decent defensive strategy if the timing is not going to be convenient for you.

I don't mind if a team does that to me and catches me off guard. Kudos to them.

I agree with Allan, there needs to be benefits to be online. And remember, my championship matches are at 3-4 am for me so I am never online for them. But rewarding online players is critical for games.

I would also add as a final note that there is a fair bit of skill involved in making the "right" substitutions at the "right" time. For example, depending on the individual strategy settings of your sub, bring them on too early and they could get injured. Bring them on too late and they may make no difference. Identify a player with particular stats & strats that is not performing well and you can substitute for another. So I reiterate what I said before and concur with BM that being online should be rewarded.

I agree with Allan being online should be rewarded and I'm from nz so my games are generally at times that I'm not online so it comes down to do I have a good enough strategy

I think my favorite part of that issue is that the developers have been provided times that would work for three most common time areas, it would be an easy easy fix, and still it's not being done. This is definitely a euro centric game and I think they are missing out on some significant earning potential if they could maintain the ability of Europeans to be online and also the islands (big and small) and lastly the americas. (I'm an American so don't accuse me being against the Americas or some other absurd statement)

I like the idea of auto subs, the online team would still have a decent advantage with spacings and aggression settings.