One minor but crucial fix was the cursor change speed. PES 2008 suffered from lag when switching defenders. PES 2009 solved this almost entirely, allowing you to manually pull defenders out of position (which was a risk) or cut passing lanes effectively.
The 2008 battle was close.
If you wanted a simulation of television football, you bought FIFA. If you wanted a simulation of playing football in the park, you bought PES. PES 2009 was for the purist who wanted to feel the weight of a through ball. pro evolution soccer 2009 pes 2009
While FIFA was busy signing The Fratellis and MGMT, PES 2009 stuck to orchestral bombast. The menu music was forgettable (generic synth rock), but the crowd chants were a step up. You could now hear specific chants for specific rivalries (thanks to the moddable soundtrack folder on PC). The commentary duo of Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson—while repetitive ("That is a simply magnificent strike")—was miles better than the deadpan delivery of the previous year. One minor but crucial fix was the cursor change speed