Try and create your own formations. Try a square or a triange of 3-12 units with all pikes facing outwards. You can even put your general in the middle and maybe a few archers and just shoot out from there. If you really want to be ahistorical turn arcade mode on so you have infinte arrows and then you are almost guarenteed a defensive victory.

You need to tailor your army to the enemy you are fighting. Keep some lighter, more mobile units on the edge to counter the enemy flanking. If you are fighting a highly mobile army such as the nomads then leave your phalanxes at home, unless you plan on taking thier cities. In that case you can river hop from one crossing point to the next on the campaign map so that if you are attacked you will have a perfect defensive battle where they cannot flank you.

As for fighting them, charge in then withdraw to counter the fact they turn around. Or get a unit to engage them from the front...typical tactics of that age; they apply to EB as much as they did to real life. When using ranged units make sure to never shoot them from the front. Even on easy difficulty setting you will be hard pressed to do any damage at all. However if you can get them to show their backs to you then you can do massive damage upwards of 5% per volley.

If worse comes to worse and you still hate them by all means feel free to click some of the other little buttons on the faction selection screen. Casse and Lusotanna are unlikely to ever encounter phalanxes. Averni, Aedui and Sweboz are unlikely unless you go far east. And Carthage and Rome won't see any during the first part of their campaigns, when you DO see them you should have access to your better units and it will be easier to counter them.

Of course if that is still not enough for you then I might suggest that you play another game. I think spearmen in empire earth are much easier to beat.

Best of luck.