Also the smaller tail was all about drag reduction
Correct. The penalty for drag reduction was the cost of anti-icing equipment. It is a matter of record that MDD decided the DC10 tailplane would not be de-iced as the drag penalty of the larger tailplane in the days of cheap fuel was a minimal handicap to sales and more metal was cheaper than a whole extra system.
Different performance charicteristics require different procedures. As long as the driver respects the machine and understands her limitations the MD-11 is an excelent aircraft.
If the machine is so good, why did the major carriers who bought it spend zillions getting rid as fast as possible. The cost to AA and DL, to name but two, to replace the 11 with more 767s and to retrain crew, engineers and other staff was not an insignificant decision and the excuse of poor fuel economy compared to promised performance seems not to trouble FedEx.
Of course the crew need to respect the machine and understand the limitations - as with any machine or device, but a machine with inbuilt, and almost covert, vices needs more than repect.