I know, I know.
I'd just be interested for other people to do the same tests I did, in terms of holding down the manual button for passes for half-a-half, then letting go and doing normal PA0 passes for the other half-a-half (you need that instant contrast or it's easy to let the half-time break fool you).
Because after doing that, I'm pretty sure in my own mind that they're identical, and that the only stats difference with the passes is how they're received (and not how they're made) - and with that being the case, I think PA1 is the way to go.
As I said, I set out to prove the opposite point to myself (because I was convinced there was a difference between manual and PA0) but... Put it like this - as Hull, Henriksen is my most creative player, and on PA1 I rely on him for everything. On PA0, I'm hitting hard direct passes from my defenders and they're just as incisive - if not more so, because trying to get a pass to a midfielder proves 10x more difficult once the AI defenders back and blocking what should be simple passes (and unless I start playing 20 minute matches I don't get enough chances to get more than ONE decent shot off per game)...
I don't know about the experience playing the COM, I play almost 100% online. I've heard a lot of other complaints, from manual players who play vs COM, that the defensive prowess from AI is inhumanly reactive in last ditch situations.
About the difference in difficulty of playing passes with defenders and with midfielders, I feel the same as you do. It feels like the game is designed so that in open areas, your players stats don't make much difference - they can play long, short passes without much errors. But as you put defenders near them, close down some lanes, and maybe even apply pressure, the accuracy of passes start to differ, from player to player. I've put Verratti in a midfield role, and then I've put Ousmane Dembele in the same position. Verratti doesn't seem to be flustered by playing passes when contained in tight space and tight passing windows, while Ousmane messes up and loses the ball a lot more. That's when I see the stat difference. This was in manual, I haven't tried it in assisted passing, but I think it's probably similar. Out in open areas, there's really not much passing stats difference I can feel from any player.
Another situation. I have Ruben Semedo, 66 low pass, 57 lofted pass, as my CB. He plays short and long passes without any errors. But somehow, when placed under pressure, he under-hits passes A LOT. Passes to teammates next to him, or passes back to goal keeper, just kept stopping short of arriving. I've been losing possession a lot like this. Out in the open, I don't really feel he's not reliable.
Has anyone else experienced this? I feel like the motto to play this year, is "do not attempt anything that is not part of your player's skill set". But this feeling only kicks in, when you put some defenders between my passing lanes, or if you place a player close to my ball carrier. Out in the open, I feel absolutely no difference.
About manual vs assisted, my earlier response was directed at your fouls video, a lot of those fouls are instigated by how your initial pass was slightly off-angled, and your player has to adjust and move a little, so as to meet and control the pass. It looks like it sets the COM in motion, trying to close you down, as you are moving, they are moving too. And then the tackle occurs. I'm just wondering, if all of that happens, if the pass was not initially slightly off-target. Because it's really about all the interaction that gets set into motion, from the initial off-target pass. From what I see, the slightly off-target passes don't occurs as much (that's the gradation I mentioned before) in PA1. If it's slightly off-target in PA1, there's a higher percentage of them that will snap to feet, because of computed correction. That's the way I understand the situation.
Good question about the L2 modifier vs manual PA0 setting.
It used to be, in 16 and before, that L2 is the true "manual manual" pass, where it overrides the PA0 behavior and it becomes exact to your inputs. But L2 doesn't feel like that anymore. It still feels different from PA0, but I'm not sure what constitutes the difference.
There's heavy stats limitation this year, half of the response I've heard from manual players are saying they can't do the things they want (they think the game plays for them). The other half just thinks that the stats matter more this year. They also feel that the stats override in L2 manual-manual is gone, you can no longer override stats from finger inputs, in L2. Not quite sure about all this, everyone is still exploring.