REVIEW OF THE NOUGHTIES: 2000/2001

2000/2001.

A similar season to the previous: again truly dominant form in the league that was unfortunately complemented by disappointment and underachievement elsewhere. 10 points clear at the top by the end of a season that saw challengers Arsenal effectively surrender their feeble challenge at Old Trafford on the 25th February when we embarrassed them 6-1. Shock in the FA cup though, as West Ham beat us 1-0 at home and in the Champions League we were again knocked out by the eventual winners in the Quarter Finals, with Bayern Munich convincingly beating us 3-1 on aggregate.

Still, 3 in a row – helped massively by a twilight season by Mr. Sheringham – was a pretty awesome achievement and definitely nothing to be sniffed at.



In other news…new boy Fabien Barthez seemed to finally be the worthy replacement to our former legend…though his entertaining, yet rather idiotic, theatrics early in the season were so nearly detrimental; as his showmanship was finally punished away to Blackburn in the league.



Players In.

Barthez

Goram

Top 4:

United – 80

Arsenal – 70

Liverpool – 69

Leeds – 68

Bottom 4:

Derby County – 42

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Manchester City – 34

Coventry City – 34

Bradford City – 26

Goal. Undoubtedly Scholes’s goal vs. Panathanaikos on 21st November. His delicate chip was the perfect finish to surely one of the greatest passing moves ever (32 passes in all).

Player. Sheringham. As Yorke slowly edged out of favour, Teddy found the form of his United career by scoring 21 goals and winning the PFA player of the year.

Remembered for?

6-1 vs Arsenal (PL). The game that effectively won us the league…in Febrary. A first-half Yorke hat-trick helped us annihilate our title challengers and all but secure a third-in-a-row.

Also...this:

Best to forget…

Bayern got their revenge from 1999 as they convincingly knocked us out of the Champions League in the quarter finals. Also, although we had already wrapped up the title, we lost the last three games of the season; including 1-0 at home to Derby.

And who remembers how we got knocked out of the FA Cup? Do the words ‘Di Canio’, ‘Barthez’ and ‘raised hand’ mean anything to you?