I would just like to say that I disagree with a strategy that says "play normal most of the time". If you are really competing in your series, you should actually be playing TIE most of the time (somewhere between 50-70%).
Enthusiasm can make a big difference between winning and losing. Even a weaker team, who spends most of the season keeping their enthusiasm up, could potentially beat you if you are playing normal all the time.
I would aim to keep your enthusiasm around 9-10 at game time. When you have a home game against a weak team, you should almost always be playing TIE. Same goes for an away game against a better team.
Run of the Mill Canadian Manager