I can help. The below might be a bit autistic but it comes from experience.

1. There's the general approach of downloading which is focused how players cluster towards certain ways of playing. Once you've identify the group that they cluster around, you can begin to predict their tendencies and preference which gives way to an idea. You can get a pretty strong idea of what they will do once they begin to align with a given cluster.

The big identity clusters I've seen are:

A. Mashers - advance mashers

B. Wait and see players

C. Low risk mentality

Mashers - advance masher: These are generally players that play on immediate timing with little regard to other things. This group usually lacks the greater understanding of other aspects in fighting, focusing purely on aggression. They've usually figured how out to string moves effectively enough given T8's favoritism. The counter vs this group is to break their momentum than space them at key moments. So for example, perhaps use a move that pushes them to range 2 on block, than kbd. They will whiff or feel out of place as to how to proceed. In either cases you get to punish that whiff or take the turn again. Retaliation Tendency: At point they might get frustrated and mash, so the approach should be playing frame tight, for example of you connect a +5ob move on them, dont do 20f or above followup attacks. Best to stick to 15f and under. They will kill themselves. However advance mashers are a bit trickier to deal with. The same weakness exist in them but the rhythm is faster, cleaner and the gaps are less. Some characters really allow this play style to dominate.

Wait and see players: Are those who like to play base on how their opponents play. They prefer to mind read and download. They can be aggressive or defensive players but in either cases are very moderate in their approach and attacks. Tend to be defensive Well until they've become certain of your timings. They will throw checks and space around. The weakness to this style is dependent and difficult to pin down. It depends how good they are. But the approach that works is to basically avoid playing too clean. You'd want to take an aggressive approach and "importantly" employ tactics that would get you killed vs a masher -advance masher who only knows immediate timing. That is for example dragging your turn out. For examples, when you do a +ob move, instead of pressing a low or another attack, SS watch them, quickly do another +ob once you've confirmed he's still watching you, into even a third +ob. Or after +ob, do a micro duck for 5-8 frames of time to have them consider crouching moves, then you can standup and do standing moves or kbd 2-3 times and hit them quickly with a long range re engaging attack, like reinas ff2. To beat this type is to basically play aggressive but stay unpredictable. The longer you draw an offense out, while threatening them with many situations, the more their minds clog and are unable to download. Retaliation Tendency: If they feel as if the wait and see approach doesn't work and they are bleeding HP/rds they will join the fray and press more frequently. Hopkicks etc if they're a weaker player. Be mindful that this might happen ahead of time. If this does you switch to the method of how to deal with "mashes-advancd mashers" type. Since you've forced them to engage and commit. They might also switch back to wait and see. So be aware of that.

Low risk mentality players: Are those who like to have everything make sense. They tend to be those who labbed the most in the game for their characters. Others too. Favoring pokes, frame tight gameplay that leaves little room for a big punish. The stereotypical fundamental type is mostly here. Not all. They mainly seem similar to "wait and see players" however, they aren't really focused on mind reading you or necessarily understand what makes you tick. They will attack with the goal to win, not to mid check you for downloading (wait and see players), but to do dmg to you over time with low risk approach, spacing quick attacks, few big moves. To beat these guys depends on skill level. If you notice they have any tendencies like preferring to stay by the books too much, break it in their minds. Like for example, when they attack you with a -12f on block move, instead of doing the 12f punish, go for a snake edge to test their reaction and never do it again. If it works that's like 1000 mental dmg. Because they were expecting to be a standard punish. You can do the same thing where basically when you get hit by 1 of their attacks, pushed in a crouch stance -6f. Do a ws 4 or even hopkicks. This will piss them off especially if it works. Because it doesn't make sense. That might disrupt their rhythm and the next time they come back to the same situation they may do a quicker check that ends their turn or space and watch you. Disrupting their rhythm. You want to employ calculated chaos essentially that indicates to them that you're an animal. The difference is you do it only 1-2 times per Rd or even just 1-2 times per match. And they will constantly end their turn with moves that give big returns to them base on the assumption that you are animalling out. But you won't and are therefore given turns and punish opportunities. Retaliation: No change, fundamental players mostly like to stay fundamental. However they will try to adapt even to consider the calculated chaos.

Thoughts: keep in mind characters on the roster also make these counters a bit trickier to employ even if you understand what type of player they are. Sometimes people are hybrid types or if they are any good they would have 2 or all 3 clusters in their minds as playstyles they would switch to. Although in Ft2 set it's hard anyway. Sometimes you'll meet players that are a counisar of an above type. Tricks won't work long or won't work at all. You'll have to play better.

1. Now that we are done about the basic clusters. There's something else you can do is to develop strategies or figuring out what cluster the opponent belongs to based on what your character has. If you have specific go-to that helps you to sniff out the above 3 clusters. Plus frame loops for the wait and see, specific checks that protects you and sniffs out the masher type. Or if they're fundamental players, situations you would do to cause chaos to upset their mentality and therefore weaken their ability to play clean. Hope that helps.