Realistically, flanking (2 directions suffice) and grenades make MGs largely a non-issue in all stages of the game. Thats not trash talk.
Practically, you're forced for hefty early game investment of fuel just to counter basic, menpower only unit.
Given CoH2 narrow maps, roads and cutoffs it makes it exceptionally difficult to pull a proper flank without circling half of the map. CoH1 also had much more open maps, hell comparing CoH1 semois to coh2 version speaks for itself.
That happens when relic doesn't implement all the changes required for the patch to actually work.