Yeah absolutely it's frustrating to think about all the time wasted. I didn't sell all my duds and trained too many different players, trying to make them all great. Got some awesome draftees back in those days too that never got the attention they deserved, quite shameful really.
I honestly had no idea what I was doing and paid very little attention to the game. The only bonus I got from starting so early was a decent sized stadium. I've really only been playing since season 12 though. I didn't even know how all the different tactics should and shouldn't be used. Enthusiasm meant very little to me as did game shape.
I'm really enjoying it now though and that's the main thing, it's a lot more competitive these days and i'm happy with how things are going for my team. This season is probably burnt but I knew that back when I sold my C. Allows me to focus on my training and build for the future, when I will be unstoppable! ;-)