A good game...

... but highly frustrating in the fact that it seems as though these players have the intellect of warm cabbage. A ball may bounce towards an opponent, but they walk out of the way instead of going to get it. They may throw a ball out for a throw-in when they aren't being marked at all (in fact the next opponent could be half a pitch away).

I'm sure as I learn more about the game I'll come to understand why these things are happening but is there a way to prevent the stupid little things like this from happening?

Yes, sometimes the match engine just does not make sense. In a game yesterday I had a full-back dribble half way up the pitch then , in no danger whatsoever, turn around and boot it out for a corner. It was even more annoying because it was in stoppage time and I was defending a 1-0 lead. If we'd conceded from that corner I'd have probably stopped playing the game. It completely ripped away the realism.

Yes, sometimes the match engine just does not make sense. In a game yesterday I had a full-back dribble half way up the pitch then , in no danger whatsoever, turn around and boot it out for a corner. It was even more annoying because it was in stoppage time and I was defending a 1-0 lead. If we'd conceded from that corner I'd have probably stopped playing the game. It completely ripped away the realism.

EXACTLY what I'm talking about!

Has this been an issue in previous Football Manager games, or is it something to do with 2010 specifically?

[edit] My personal pet peeve is when a ball lands in the penalty area not more than 6 yards from the goalie, and with a forward further away from the ball the goalkeeper decides to either SIT BACK AND WAIT or RUN BACKWARDS ONTO THE GOAL-LINE instead of coming out and getting the ball, preventing an easy goal.