2003–04 Manchester United F.C. season


The 2003–04 season was Manchester United's 12th season in the Premier League, and their 29th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
United started the season by winning the 2003 FA Community Shield and then secured a record eleventh FA Cup with a 3–0 win over Millwall at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. However, the club surrendered the Premier League title to unbeaten champions Arsenal, with a second-half dip in league form coinciding with Rio Ferdinand starting an eight-month ban from football due to a missed drugs test and restricting United to a third-place finish.
New to the United side were Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazilian 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning midfielder Kléberson, American goalkeeper Tim Howard, Cameroonian midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba and French striker David Bellion.
United's UEFA Champions League and League Cup dreams ended in the last 16, with the European exit being particularly painful as a last minute goal by eventual champions Porto put them out of the competition and denied them an eighth successive Champions League quarter-final.

Pre-season and friendlies

FA Community Shield

DateOpponentsH/AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
10 August 2003ArsenalN
Silvestre 15'59,293

FA Premier League

DateOpponentsH/AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendanceLeague
position
16 August 2003Bolton WanderersHGiggs 35', 74', Scholes 77', Van Nistelrooy 87'67,6472nd
23 August 2003Newcastle UnitedAVan Nistelrooy 51', Scholes 59'52,1653rd
27 August 2003Wolverhampton WanderersHO'Shea 10'67,6482nd
31 August 2003SouthamptonA32,0662nd
13 September 2003Charlton AthleticAVan Nistelrooy 62', 82'26,0782nd
21 September 2003ArsenalH67,6393rd
27 September 2003Leicester CityAKeane 15', Van Nistelrooy 16', 45', 52'32,0443rd
4 October 2003Birmingham CityHVan Nistelrooy 36', Scholes 57', Giggs 82'67,6332nd
18 October 2003Leeds UnitedAKeane 81'40,1532nd
25 October 2003FulhamHForlán 45'67,7273rd
1 November 2003PortsmouthHForlán 37', Ronaldo 80', Keane 82'67,6393rd
9 November 2003LiverpoolAGiggs 58', 70'44,1593rd
22 November 2003Blackburn RoversHVan Nistelrooy 24', Kléberson 38'67,7483rd
30 November 2003ChelseaA41,9323rd
6 December 2003Aston VillaHVan Nistelrooy 16', 45', Forlán 90', 90'67,6213rd
13 December 2003Manchester CityHScholes 7', 73', Van Nistelrooy 34'67,6452nd
21 December 2003Tottenham HotspurAO'Shea 15', Van Nistelrooy 26'35,9101st
26 December 2003EvertonHButt 9', Kléberson 44', Bellion 68'67,6421st
28 December 2003MiddlesbroughAFortune 14'34,7381st
7 January 2004Bolton WanderersAScholes 24', Van Nistelrooy 39'27,6681st
11 January 2004Newcastle UnitedH67,6221st
17 January 2004Wolverhampton WanderersA29,3962nd
31 January 2004SouthamptonHSaha 18', Scholes 37', Van Nistelrooy 61'67,7582nd
7 February 2004EvertonASaha 9', 29', Van Nistelrooy 24', 89'40,1902nd
11 February 2004MiddlesbroughHVan Nistelrooy 45', Giggs 63'67,3462nd
21 February 2004Leeds UnitedHScholes 64'67,7442nd
28 February 2004FulhamASaha 14'18,3063rd
14 March 2004Manchester CityAScholes 35'47,2843rd
20 March 2004Tottenham HotspurHGiggs 30', Ronaldo 89', Bellion 90'67,6343rd
28 March 2004ArsenalASaha 86'38,1843rd
10 April 2004Birmingham CityARonaldo 60', Saha 78'29,5483rd
13 April 2004Leicester CityHG. Neville 56'67,7493rd
17 April 2004PortsmouthA20,1403rd
20 April 2004Charlton AthleticHSaha 28', G. Neville 65'67,4773rd
24 April 2004LiverpoolH67,6473rd
1 May 2004Blackburn RoversA29,6163rd
8 May 2004ChelseaHVan Nistelrooy 76'67,6093rd
15 May 2004Aston VillaARonaldo 4', Van Nistelrooy 10'42,5733rd

FA Cup

DateRoundOpponentsH/AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
4 January 2004Round 3Aston VillaAScholes 64', 68'40,371
25 January 2004Round 4Northampton TownASilvestre 34', Hargreaves 47', Forlán 68'7,356
14 February 2004Round 5Manchester CityHScholes 34', Van Nistelrooy 71', 80', Ronaldo 74'67,228
6 March 2004Round 6FulhamHVan Nistelrooy 25', 62'67,614
3 April 2004Semi-finalArsenalNScholes 32'39,939
22 May 2004FinalMillwallNRonaldo 44', Van Nistelrooy 65', 81'71,350

League Cup

DateRoundOpponentsH/AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
28 October 2003Round 3Leeds UnitedA
Bellion 78', Forlán 108', Djemba-Djemba 117'37,546
3 December 2003Round 4West Bromwich AlbionA25,282

UEFA Champions League

Group stage

DateOpponentsH/AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendanceGroup
position
16 September 2003PanathinaikosHSilvestre 13', Fortune 15', Solskjær 33', Butt 40', Djemba-Djemba 83'66,5201st
1 October 2003VfB StuttgartAVan Nistelrooy 67' 50,3482nd
22 October 2003RangersAP. Neville 5'48,7301st
4 November 2003RangersHForlán 6', Van Nistelrooy 43', 60'66,7071st
26 November 2003PanathinaikosAForlán 85'6,8901st
9 December 2003VfB StuttgartHVan Nistelrooy 45', Giggs 58'67,1411st

Knockout phase

DateRoundOpponentsH/AResult
F–A		ScorersAttendance
25 February 2004First knockout round
First leg		PortoAFortune 14'49,977
9 March 2004First knockout round
Second leg		PortoHScholes 32'67,029

Squad statistics

Transfers

United's first departure of the 2003–04 season was David Beckham, who left Old Trafford after ten years with the Red Devils. On 7 July, forward Danny Webber joined Watford. A month after Webber's departure, Argentinian midfielder, Juan Sebastián Verón joined United's rivals Chelsea. Two days later, English forward Jimmy Davis died in a car crash.
Coming in during the summer transfer window were French forward David Bellion, Cameroonian midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba, American goalkeeper Tim Howard, Brazilian midfielder Kléberson, and Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
Leaving in the winter transfer window was Alan Tate, who joined Swansea City. First-choice goalkeeper Fabien Barthez rejoined Marseille in April, while Danny Pugh joined Leeds United in late May, in exchange for Alan Smith.
Arriving in the winter transfer window was Louis Saha, who signed from Fulham on 23 January for a fee of £12.82 million. Alan Smith joined United on 26 May from Leeds United in exchange for Danny Pugh. Gabriel Heinze joined United on 11 June from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £6.9 million.

In

Out

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