I get some of what you are saying. I think I have better matches against the A.I. too because when I defend I try to defend how you would in real life--i use super cancel A LOT to cut off passing lines, know when to back off or step up, when to press and when not to press. Me and
@Chris Davies raved about this in the PES 2018 beta and thats how it should be. FIFA 16 before it got patched had this as well. You had to defend like you would in real life. Then it went to shit in both games.
With that being said, it's also VERY MUCH Konami's fault for not forcing that to be the norm with their mechanics and engine. Why should gamers try to defend like you would in real life when you can run around gegen pressing like crazy to win the ball back because the A.I. isn't programed well enough to keep evading your press by dribbling out of tight situations or playing around your press more consistently forcing you to back off? (rhetorical question)
I do believe some, def not all, the issues people experience with 1-2 direct passing and some of the patterns from the A.I. can be attributed to the how you are defending against the A.I. If you try to replicate real footy the A.I. plays better, not great by any stretch but better and a little more tolerable. When you aggressively press them all over the place they can't cope from a programming standpoint which is why you see them dribble less and less and play more direct quick passes.
Just my two cents