From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
2003–04 Manchester United F.C. season
English football club season
English football club season
| Field | Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| club | Manchester United | ||||
| season | 2003–04 | ||||
| manager | Sir Alex Ferguson | ||||
| chairman | Sir Roy Gardner | ||||
| stadium | Old Trafford | ||||
| league | [Premier League](2003-04-fa-premier-league) | ||||
| league result | 3rd | ||||
| cup1 | [FA Cup](2003-04-fa-cup) | ||||
| cup1 result | **Winners** | ||||
| cup2 | [League Cup](2003-04-football-league-cup) | ||||
| cup2 result | Fourth round | ||||
| cup3 | [UEFA Champions League](2003-04-uefa-champions-league) | ||||
| cup3 result | Round of 16 | ||||
| cup4 | [Community Shield](2003-fa-community-shield) | ||||
| cup4 result | **Winners** | ||||
| league topscorer | |||||
| Ruud van Nistelrooy (20) | |||||
| season topscorer | |||||
| Ruud van Nistelrooy (30) | |||||
| highest attendance | 67,758 vs Southampton (31 January 2004) | ||||
| lowest attendance | 66,520 vs Panathinaikos (16 September 2003) | ||||
| average attendance | 67,641 | ||||
| pattern_la1 | _manutd0204h | pattern_b1 = _manutd0204h | pattern_ra1 = _manutd0204h | pattern_sh1 = _manutd0204h | pattern_so1 = _redline |
| leftarm1 | E20E0E | body1 = E20E0E | rightarm1 = E20E0E | shorts1 = FFFFFF | socks1 = 000000 |
| pattern_la2 | _manutd0305a | pattern_b2 = _manutd0305a | pattern_ra2 = _manutd0305a | pattern_sh2 = _nikeswooshwhite | pattern_so2 = _whitetop |
| leftarm2 | 000000 | body2 = 000000 | rightarm2 = 000000 | shorts2 = 000000 | socks2 = 000000 |
| pattern_la3 | _manutd0305t | pattern_b3 = _manutd0305t | pattern_ra3 = _manutd0305t | pattern_sh3 = _blackbottom | pattern_so3 = _blacktop |
| leftarm3 | FFFFFF | body3 = FFFFFF | rightarm3 = FFFFFF | shorts3 = FFFFFF | socks3 = FFFFFF |
| prevseason | [2002–03](2002-03-manchester-united-f-c-season) | ||||
| nextseason | [2004–05](2004-05-manchester-united-f-c-season) |
Ruud van Nistelrooy (20) Ruud van Nistelrooy (30) 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
| Date | Opponents | H/A | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |||
| 22 July 2003 | Celtic | N | [4–0](https://web.archive.org/web/20050411212047/http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsID=39791&itype=466&iCategoryID=120) | Van Nistelrooy 7', Giggs 27', Solskjær 39', Bellion 72' | 66,722 |
| 27 July 2003 | Club América | N | [3–1](https://web.archive.org/web/20041226034355/http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsId=39976&itype=466&icategoryid=120) | Van Nistelrooy 48', Forlán (2) 49', 80' | 57,365 |
| 31 July 2003 | Juventus | N | [4–1](https://web.archive.org/web/20040805045449/http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsID=40318&itype=466&iCategoryID=120) | Giggs 25', Scholes 57', Van Nistelrooy 60', Solskjær 79' | 79,000 |
| 3 August 2003 | Barcelona | N | [3–1](https://web.archive.org/web/20040909231647/http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsID=40479&itype=466&iCategoryID=120) | Forlán (2) 25', 37', Van Nistelrooy 85' | 68,396 |
| 7 August 2003 | Sporting CP | A | [1–3](https://web.archive.org/web/20031008002752/http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsID=40731&itype=466&iCategoryID=120) | Hugo 88' (o.g.) | 55,000 |
| 13 August 2003 | Stoke City | A | [1–3](https://web.archive.org/web/20050111051818/http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsID=41190&itype=466&iCategoryID=120) | Forlán 68' | 21,436 |
FA Community Shield
Main article: 2003 FA Community Shield
| Date | Opponents | H/A | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
| 10 August 2003 | Arsenal | N | [1–1](https://archive.today/20120817071035/http://www.thefa.com/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFACommunityShield/pastwinners/2003-manunitedvarsenal) |
| (4–3p) | Silvestre 15' | 59,293 |
FA Premier League
Main article: 2003–04 FA Premier League
| Date | Opponents | H/A | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F–A | Scorers | Attendance | League | |||
| position | ||||||
| 16 August 2003 | Bolton Wanderers | H | [4–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3140899.stm) | Giggs (2) 35', 74', Scholes 77', Van Nistelrooy 87' | 67,647 | 2nd |
| 23 August 2003 | Newcastle United | A | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3152273.stm) | Van Nistelrooy 51', Scholes 59' | 52,165 | 3rd |
| 27 August 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | [1–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3156187.stm) | O'Shea 10' | 67,648 | 2nd |
| 31 August 2003 | Southampton | A | [0–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3172831.stm) | 32,066 | 2nd | |
| 13 September 2003 | Charlton Athletic | A | [2–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3194207.stm) | Van Nistelrooy (2) 62', 82' | 26,078 | 2nd |
| 21 September 2003 | Arsenal | H | [0–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3084372.stm) | 67,639 | 3rd | |
| 27 September 2003 | Leicester City | A | [4–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3122914.stm) | Keane 15', Van Nistelrooy (3) 16', 45', 52' | 32,044 | 3rd |
| 4 October 2003 | Birmingham City | H | [3–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3123628.stm) | Van Nistelrooy 36' (pen.), Scholes 57', Giggs 82' | 67,633 | 2nd |
| 18 October 2003 | Leeds United | A | [1–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3191286.stm) | Keane 81' | 40,153 | 2nd |
| 25 October 2003 | Fulham | H | [1–3](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3206852.stm) | Forlán 45' | 67,727 | 3rd |
| 1 November 2003 | Portsmouth | H | [3–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3207091.stm) | Forlán 37', Ronaldo 80', Keane 82' | 67,639 | 3rd |
| 9 November 2003 | Liverpool | A | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3233009.stm) | Giggs (2) 58', 70' | 44,159 | 3rd |
| 22 November 2003 | Blackburn Rovers | H | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3273231.stm) | Van Nistelrooy 24', Kléberson 38' | 67,748 | 3rd |
| 30 November 2003 | Chelsea | A | [0–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3285087.stm) | 41,932 | 3rd | |
| 6 December 2003 | Aston Villa | H | [4–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3247510.stm) | Van Nistelrooy (2) 16', 45', Forlán (2) 90', 90' | 67,621 | 3rd |
| 13 December 2003 | Manchester City | H | [3–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3247394.stm) | Scholes (2) 7', 73', Van Nistelrooy 34' | 67,645 | 2nd |
| 21 December 2003 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3314637.stm) | O'Shea 15', Van Nistelrooy 26' | 35,910 | 1st |
| 26 December 2003 | Everton | H | [3–2](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3316125.stm) | Butt 9', Kléberson 44', Bellion 68' | 67,642 | 1st |
| 28 December 2003 | Middlesbrough | A | [1–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3349119.stm) | Fortune 14' | 34,738 | 1st |
| 7 January 2004 | Bolton Wanderers | A | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3362517.stm) | Scholes 24', Van Nistelrooy 39' | 27,668 | 1st |
| 11 January 2004 | Newcastle United | H | [0–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3363063.stm) | 67,622 | 1st | |
| 17 January 2004 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | [0–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3385515.stm) | 29,396 | 2nd | |
| 31 January 2004 | Southampton | H | [3–2](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3417887.stm) | Saha 18', Scholes 37', Van Nistelrooy 61' | 67,758 | 2nd |
| 7 February 2004 | Everton | A | [4–3](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3447465.stm) | Saha (2) 9', 29', Van Nistelrooy (2) 24', 89' | 40,190 | 2nd |
| 11 February 2004 | Middlesbrough | H | [2–3](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3456297.stm) | Van Nistelrooy 45', Giggs 63' | 67,346 | 2nd |
| 21 February 2004 | Leeds United | H | [1–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3496745.stm) | Scholes 64' | 67,744 | 2nd |
| 28 February 2004 | Fulham | A | [1–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3507609.stm) | Saha 14' | 18,306 | 3rd |
| 14 March 2004 | Manchester City | A | [1–4](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3536387.stm) | Scholes 35' | 47,284 | 3rd |
| 20 March 2004 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | [3–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3507784.stm) | Giggs 30', Ronaldo 89', Bellion 90' | 67,634 | 3rd |
| 28 March 2004 | Arsenal | A | [1–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3553027.stm) | Saha 86' | 38,184 | 3rd |
| 10 April 2004 | Birmingham City | A | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3574333.stm) | Ronaldo 60', Saha 78' | 29,548 | 3rd |
| 13 April 2004 | Leicester City | H | [1–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3593233.stm) | G. Neville 56' | 67,749 | 3rd |
| 17 April 2004 | Portsmouth | A | [0–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3615835.stm) | 20,140 | 3rd | |
| 20 April 2004 | Charlton Athletic | H | [2–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3638797.stm) | Saha 28', G. Neville 65' | 67,477 | 3rd |
| 24 April 2004 | Liverpool | H | [0–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3628565.stm) | 67,647 | 3rd | |
| 1 May 2004 | Blackburn Rovers | A | [0–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3655249.stm) | 29,616 | 3rd | |
| 8 May 2004 | Chelsea | H | [1–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3676187.stm) | Van Nistelrooy 76' | 67,609 | 3rd |
| 15 May 2004 | Aston Villa | A | [2–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3696207.stm) | Ronaldo 4', Van Nistelrooy 10' | 42,573 | 3rd |
FA Cup
Main article: 2003–04 FA Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | H/A | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F–A | Scorers | Attendance | ||||
| 4 January 2004 | Round 3 | Aston Villa | A | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3349289.stm) | Scholes (2) 64', 68' | 40,371 |
| 25 January 2004 | Round 4 | Northampton Town | A | [3–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3403761.stm) | Silvestre 34', Hargreaves 47' (o.g.), Forlán 68' | 7,356 |
| 14 February 2004 | Round 5 | Manchester City | H | [4–2](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3468365.stm) | Scholes 34', Van Nistelrooy (2) 71', 80', Ronaldo 74' | 67,228 |
| 6 March 2004 | Round 6 | Fulham | H | [2–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3518421.stm) | Van Nistelrooy (2) 25', 62' | 67,614 |
| 3 April 2004 | Semi-final | Arsenal | N | [1–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3571955.stm) | Scholes 32' | 39,939 |
| 22 May 2004 | [Final](2004-fa-cup-final) | Millwall | N | [3–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/3725063.stm) | Ronaldo 44', Van Nistelrooy (2) 65' (pen.), 81' | 71,350 |
League Cup
Main article: 2003–04 Football League Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | H/A | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F–A | Scorers | Attendance | ||||
| 28 October 2003 | Round 3 | Leeds United | A | [3–2](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/3204813.stm) | ||
| Bellion 78', Forlán 108', Djemba-Djemba 117' | 37,546 | |||||
| 3 December 2003 | Round 4 | West Bromwich Albion | A | [0–2](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/3246994.stm) | 25,282 |
UEFA Champions League
Group stage
Main article: 2003–04 UEFA Champions League group stage
| Date | Opponents | H/A | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Group | |||
| position | ||||||
| 16 September 2003 | Panathinaikos | H | [5–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3109724.stm) | Silvestre 13', Fortune 15', Solskjær 33', Butt 40', Djemba-Djemba 83' | 66,520 | 1st |
| 1 October 2003 | VfB Stuttgart | A | [1–2](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3151188.stm) | Van Nistelrooy 67' (pen.) | 50,348 | 2nd |
| 22 October 2003 | Rangers | A | [1–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3210020.stm) | P. Neville 5' | 48,730 | 1st |
| 4 November 2003 | Rangers | H | [3–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3236621.stm) | Forlán 6', Van Nistelrooy (2) 43', 60' | 66,707 | 1st |
| 26 November 2003 | Panathinaikos | A | [1–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3235886.stm) | Forlán 85' | 6,890 | 1st |
| 9 December 2003 | VfB Stuttgart | H | [2–0](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3300341.stm) | Van Nistelrooy 45', Giggs 58' | 67,141 | 1st |
Knockout phase
Main article: 2003–04 UEFA Champions League knockout stage
| Date | Round | Opponents | H/A | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |||
| 25 February 2004 | First knockout round | ||||
| First leg | Porto | A | [1–2](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3511537.stm) | Fortune 14' | 49,977 |
| 9 March 2004 | First knockout round | ||||
| Second leg | Porto | H | [1–1](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/3542643.stm) | Scholes 32' | 67,029 |
Squad statistics
| No. | Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | FRA Fabien Barthez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 2 | DF | ENG Gary Neville | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | DF | ENG Phil Neville | 29(2) | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40(3) | 1 | ||||||
| 5 | DF | ENG Rio Ferdinand | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||||||
| 6 | DF | ENG Wes Brown | 15(2) | 0 | 5(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22(3) | 0 | ||||||
| 7 | MF | POR Cristiano Ronaldo | 15(14) | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24(16) | 6 | ||||||
| 8 | MF | ENG Nicky Butt | 12(9) | 1 | 3(2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22(12) | 2 | ||||||
| 9 | FW | FRA Louis Saha | 9(3) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10(4) | 7 | ||||||
| 10 | FW | NED Ruud van Nistelrooy | 31(1) | 20 | 3(1) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 42(2) | 30 | ||||||
| 11 | MF | WAL Ryan Giggs | 29(4) | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 43(4) | 8 | ||||||
| 12 | FW | FRA David Bellion | 4(10) | 2 | 1(1) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7(15) | 3 | ||||||
| 13 | GK | NIR Roy Carroll | 6 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11(1) | 0 | ||||||
| 14 | GK | USA Tim Howard | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||||||
| 15 | MF | BRA Kléberson | 10(2) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13(3) | 2 | ||||||
| 16 | MF | IRL Roy Keane (c) | 25(3) | 3 | 4(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34(4) | 3 | ||||||
| 17 | GK | ESP Ricardo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 18 | MF | ENG Paul Scholes | 24(4) | 9 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 36(4) | 14 | ||||||
| 19 | MF | CMR Eric Djemba-Djemba | 10(5) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1(3) | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 12(10) | 2 | ||||||
| 20 | FW | NOR Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 7(6) | 0 | 1(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10(9) | 1 | ||||||
| 21 | FW | URU Diego Forlán | 10(14) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2(2) | 2 | 0(1) | 0 | 15(17) | 8 | ||||||
| 22 | DF | IRL John O'Shea | 32(1) | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 46(3) | 2 | ||||||
| 23 | MF | ENG Kieran Richardson | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | ||||||
| 24 | MF | SCO Darren Fletcher | 17(5) | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26(9) | 0 | ||||||
| 25 | MF | RSA Quinton Fortune | 18(5) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6(1) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 29(6) | 3 | ||||||
| 26 | MF | ENG Danny Pugh | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | ||||||
| 27 | DF | FRA Mikaël Silvestre | 33(1) | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 45(1) | 3 | ||||||
| 32 | FW | ENG Eddie Johnson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | ||||||
| 33 | MF | ENG Chris Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | ||||||
| 34 | DF | ENG Phil Bardsley | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | ||||||
| 36 | FW | ENG Daniel Nardiello | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | ||||||
| 39 | DF | IRL Paul Tierney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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 (see above). Gabriel Heinze joined United on 11 June from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £6.9 million.
In
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2003 | FW | FRA David Bellion | ENG Sunderland | £2m |
| 3 July 2003 | MF | CMR Eric Djemba-Djemba | FRA Nantes | £3.5m |
| 15 July 2003 | GK | USA Tim Howard | USA MetroStars | £2.3m |
| 12 August 2003 | MF | BRA Kléberson | BRA Atlético Paranaense | £5.93m |
| 12 August 2003 | MF | POR Cristiano Ronaldo | POR Sporting CP | £12.24m |
| 12 January 2004 | FW | CHN Dong Fangzhuo | CHN Dalian Shide | £3.5m |
| 23 January 2004 | FW | FRA Louis Saha | ENG Fulham | £12.82m |
| 26 May 2004 | FW | ENG Alan Smith | ENG Leeds United | £7m |
| 11 June 2004 | DF | ARG Gabriel Heinze | FRA Paris Saint-Germain | £6.9m |
Out
| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 July 2003 | MF | ENG David Beckham | ESP Real Madrid | £17.25m |
| 7 July 2003 | FW | ENG Danny Webber | ENG Watford | Undisclosed |
| 7 August 2003 | MF | ARG Juan Sebastián Verón | ENG Chelsea | £15m |
| 9 August 2003 | FW | ENG Jimmy Davis | Deceased | |
| 6 February 2004 | DF | ENG Alan Tate | WAL Swansea City | Undisclosed |
| 27 April 2004 | GK | FRA Fabien Barthez | FRA Marseille | £5m |
| 26 May 2004 | MF | ENG Danny Pugh | ENG Leeds United | Free |
Loan out
| Date from | Date to | Position | Name | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 July 2003 | 9 August 2003 | FW | ENG Jimmy Davis | ENG Watford |
| 10 July 2003 | 30 June 2004 | MF | ENG Luke Chadwick | ENG Burnley |
| 19 July 2003 | 30 June 2004 | MF | SWE Bojan Djordjic | SCG Red Star Belgrade |
| 27 July 2003 | 1 January 2004 | FW | ENG Colin Heath | BEL Royal Antwerp |
| 27 July 2003 | 1 January 2004 | MF | ENG David Fox | BEL Royal Antwerp |
| 29 July 2003 | 30 June 2004 | MF | SCO Michael Stewart | ENG Nottingham Forest |
| 24 August 2003 | 30 June 2004 | GK | ESP Ricardo | ESP Racing Santander |
| 12 September 2003 | 12 October 2003 | FW | ENG Neil Wood | ENG Peterborough United |
| 19 September 2003 | 18 October 2003 | GK | ENG Ben Williams | ENG Altrincham |
| 24 October 2003 | 24 November 2003 | FW | ENG Daniel Nardiello | WAL Swansea City |
| 24 October 2003 | 29 December 2003 | DF | ENG Alan Tate | WAL Swansea City |
| 24 November 2003 | 25 December 2003 | FW | ENG Danny Byrne | ENG Hartlepool United |
| 2 January 2004 | 26 April 2004 | GK | FRA Fabien Barthez | FRA Marseille |
| 12 January 2004 | 16 December 2006 | FW | CHN Dong Fangzhuo | BEL Royal Antwerp |
| 27 January 2004 | 30 June 2004 | FW | ENG Daniel Nardiello | ENG Barnsley |
| 29 January 2004 | 30 April 2004 | FW | ENG Neil Wood | ENG Burnley |
| 29 January 2004 | 29 February 2004 | DF | IRL Paul Tierney | ENG Colchester United |
| 30 January 2004 | 23 May 2004 | DF | ENG Phil Bardsley | BEL Royal Antwerp |
| 30 January 2004 | 23 May 2004 | FW | ENG Eddie Johnson | BEL Royal Antwerp |
| 19 March 2004 | 9 May 2004 | GK | ENG Ben Williams | ENG Crewe Alexandra |
| 23 March 2004 | 30 June 2004 | DF | ENG Lee Lawrence | ENG Shrewsbury Town |
| 24 March 2004 | 30 June 2004 | FW | DEN Mads Timm | NOR Viking |
Notes
References
References
- "Manchester United Season 2003/04". StretfordEnd.co.uk.
- (16 October 2003). "Bellion to cost United at least £2 million". Manchester Evening News.
- (3 July 2003). "Man Utd sign Djemba-Djemba". BBC Sport.
- (15 July 2003). "Howard joins Man Utd". BBC Sport.
- (12 August 2003). "United finally sign Kleberson". The Guardian.
- (12 August 2003). "Man Utd sign Ronaldo". BBC Sport.
- (12 January 2004). "Man Utd sign Dong". BBC Sport.
- (26 May 2004). "Man Utd sign Smith". BBC Sport.
- (11 June 2004). "Man Utd secure Heinze deal". BBC Sport.
- (18 June 2003). "Beckham joins Real Madrid".
- (4 July 2003). "Webber poised for Watford". BBC Sport.
- (7 August 2003). "Veron signs for Chelsea". BBC Sport.
- (9 August 2003). "Man Utd starlet killed in crash". BBC Sport.
- (6 February 2004). "Swans make double swoop". BBC Sport.
- (28 April 2004). "Marseille sign Barthez". BBC Sport.
- (27 May 2004). "Leeds in swoop for Pugh". BBC Sport.
- (8 July 2003). "Watford lure Man Utd fledgling". BBC Sport.
- (10 July 2003). "Chadwick joins Burnley". BBC Sport.
- (19 July 2003). "United starlet in Red Star loan". ESPN.
- (29 July 2003). "Stewart wanders into Forest". BBC Sport.
- (24 August 2003). "Man Utd agree Ricardo loan". BBC Sport.
- (16 December 2006). "Man Utd gain work permit for Dong". BBC Sport.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 2003–04 Manchester United F.C. season — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report