Absolutes

Is there a reason why there isn't the possibility of absolutes on the tactics bars?

Such as Always/Never in addition to Rarely/Mixed/Often.

I'm sure it's quite realistic to tell a team "I want you to never shoot from long range" or "I never want you to put a cross into the box"

Not sometimes if you feel the wind is right, I want you to NEVER do it. etc.

It's because players on the pitch have to make decisions for themselves on how to act. What if you told someone to never cross, and that player got into a situation where the only option is a cross? You'd lose possession and be at serious risk. Similarly, if you told someone to always try through balls they'd be trying to play through balls even if no-one was there...

I see what you're saying, but surely that is my tactical choice/error, as much as it's possible to play 0-0-11 formation (to a degree), If I've told them to never take a long shot, there are always other options, if I tell them to always cross the ball regardless of what else is available and nobody is in the area, that is my choice.

My personal preferences for tactics once drilled into the players heads should outweigh what they naturally want to do.

Even if not on all of the options, some of them should have definites, such as forward runs and long shots.

I see your reasoning, and it makes perfect sense IRL, but just wouldn't work in the game.

Telling a player IRL not to make any forward runs will result in him taking that on board, but also being able to make a judgement call on whether he can ignore your isntruction, on given occasion, or not. Telling a player in the game to never make a forward run would result in the player genuinely never making a forward run, which would be tactical suicide.