My personal preference is Asymmetric over directional, not sure why as I always use a professional to change wheels/tyres so they can swap directional sides very quickly on their machines.

Only 8 alloys? Both my cars have 10 each, 5 for summer 5 for winter. In one case (the Ford) they're also a different size wheel between summer and winter (16" vs 15") the other has 18's all the time (though it could easily take up to 20's with some loss of comfort).