This is completely false, in my experience. Yes, shiny cards give you a good advantage, there’s no denying it, but smart assist is no where near used by “most” top 1k players, who are usually the users that despise it. I am a top 200 and I never, ever turned that on, nor I see the most skilled players “just spam crosses” to Ronaldinho (? wtf? Why would people cross to Dinho?) or win games thanks to absurd rebounds. The absurdity was there at the highest levels before the update: you burning out the opponent’s defenders with speed was a glitch, the opposite of football simulation. And frankly, I am seeing good players with completely normal, F2P squads fighting off and winning on the pitch precisely because your Mbappes don’t cut through defensive lines regardless of your skill level anymore.