The mitigating factors were exacerbated by Nuno's poor decisions.
Jimenez injury:
2018/19:
Decided against signing Bonatini permanently and look for alternative backup for Raul.
Did not materialise, we caved and signed Bonatini, who played 1(?) Premier league game before being shipped out on loan.
We did not sign anybody to provide striker cover.
2019/20:
Signed Patrick Cutrone to compete with Jota and Raul for 1 of the two striker positions. Sent an unhappy Cutrone out on loan half way through the season.
We had no cover for Raul or Jota should either of them break.
2020/21:
Approved the sale of Jota, signed Silva to go into U23s. Did not sign a back up for Raul, our only striker.
Bare in mind at this point, Raul had played around 100 consecutive games seasons and was going into this season with a 2 week rest break and no pre season. To not sign a backup striker, even just for competition, is borderline negligence. In what world can you expect him not to pick up any injury at all?
Europa League Fatigue:
Was a tough, long season, made worse by only having a squad size of 17 rather than 25 as per the league standard.
But we weren't in Europa last season, better man management would have lessened the fatigue.
Example:
Moutinho and Neves really needed a rest, but he would not swap in Dendoncker or Otasowie into midfield, utilising Kilman and Hoever better in central defence would have freed up Dendoncker into the midfield role and give Neves or Moutinho a break.
Injury crisis:
Played Podence through groin strain for 3 months that eventually required surgery.
Played Neto through a knee injury in a dead rubber that resulted in him requiring knee surgery.
Played Boly while he was having heart palpitations and long covid, rather than rotate and use Kilman/Hoever.
Centre backs:
For a large part of the season he preferred to use the DMs at the club in the CB position, because like Raul, he failed to sign actual CBs as backup, when we sold Ryan Bennett it left Boly as the only experienced CB at the club.
Rather than use younger players at CB (Kilman, Hoever) he preferred to use the DMs, taking this resource away from a much stretched midfield.
Trust in youth:
Vitinha, Otasowie, MGW were all available to offer fresh legs in midfield. He preferred to use Vitinha (a number 8) at LW, he preferred to use MGW (a number 10) at RW, and he preferred to use Otasowie (B2B DM) in the very rare games he played as a false 9.
Even in dead rubber games, he did not play the youth in their preferred or natural positions.
Yes, there are mitigating circumstances, but every team had an injury crisis at points, every team had practically zero prep for this season, we weren't special snowflakes last season, Nuno got it wrong and we paid the price.
