What trophy level are you farming in?
I am towh hall 8 too, and I farm in the 1400s. I don't usually get attacked by TH9 unless I am maxed on my resources.
You may just need to adjust your trophy count.
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Only defend storages for a target i.e just de or just gold 3 storages is more to defend walls spread thinner defences wider everything at th 8 can be afforded with 2 storage apart from Cc upgrade.
the only people that get close to my storage are clever people not big tough people with maxxed troops. Thats why its called a defence.
Get the best farming base you can and zap their DE on revenge.
Loot penalty can give you a nasty suprise ... but, as you say, with L5 troops you're not completely done in,
it also means you didn't rush it that much after all. And as a second account - you knew what was coming.
Enjoying the journey is part of it, I pressed the TH9 button before I had maxed my walls...I just got bored BArching for gold; although it was very easy, at point it became monotonous and it just hurt to see all my builders sleeping day in day out. Let's hope they'll look a bit less crazed now ;-).
At TH9 I won't leave the walls til last.
Have Fun
TS
PS: Cheers for your comments NS2 + Godzilla, appreciated.