1996-97 Season - November

Keegan stuck with the three man defensive system for the game with Boro. It was a classically hard fought derby with United confounding their critics with endeavour and grit to match their skill.

Ginola went down under a challenge from Cox to allow Beardsley - playing his 700th game - to slam home the penalty [40th] before celebrating with his son Drew who was a ball boy behind the goal.

In the second period Beardsley [69] and Lee via a wicked deflection [74 ] made the game safe before Beck got a worthless consolation.

The win took The Magpies back to the top and had Bryan Robson complaining about Ginola's inability to remain perpendicular.

Twelfth placed West Ham were our next visitors and it was a frustrating game which ended in our first draw of the season but also saw us pick up a couple of injuries with Elliot (head cut) and Ferdinand (fractured cheekbone) both having to leave the field.

United dominated but lacking power upfront and they went behind when Srnicek lost the flight of the ball allowing Keith Rowland's to score [23].

Just in the nick of time it was Beardo to the rescue again as he rifled in his 200th League goal with only seven minutes left.

Keegan adopted a more defensive approach for the trip to France as Barton replaced Ferdinand, a four man defence was restored and Asprilla often played as a lone striker

It was the Columbian who went to ground in the area to allow Beardsley's to score another penalty [30th] and United were coasting with the plan working a treat. But Srnicek made a complete hash of a routine cross allowing Traore to head a 67th minute equaliser.

Keegan admitted the change of tactics had been forced on him by the injury situation: "sometimes you've got to get in the trenches and dig out a result". No one more so than Batty who withstood a physical assult from one of the Metz players.

The trip to Stamford Bridge saw Shearer completing an amazingly speedy recovery from his groin injury and Al was confident that "we have got a squad good enough and strong enough to go all the way".

An even first half saw Chelsea take the lead through a long distance Zola free-kick with Srnicek allowing himself to be distracted by Vialli's run. Shearer marked his return by blasting in an equaliser just before half-time after he was initially thwarted

Seven minutes into the second period David Batty was sent off (amazingly for the first time in his career) for elbowing Mark Hughes in the face after the Welshman had put in a heavy challenge on him

Keegan replaced Asprilla and Ginola with Clark and Watson and the Geordie lads and a superb performance from our much maligned Czech custodian helped the depleted United hang on in for a draw.

Kev was not happy with Hughes' part in the sending off; Hughes suggested that "perhaps he (KK) gets too emotional after matches".

There was plenty of fizz at Ayresome Park but the Cola was flat at the end of the evening with two breakaway goals from Beck and Ravenelli in the Second Half

Boro had gone ahead midway through the first half through Whyte when United failed to clear a corner before Shearer powered home a header just before the break.

United had been installed as favorites for the Championship but they slipped up at home to Arsenal despite the fact that The Gunners had Tony Adams sent off after only 22 minutes.

The result left Keegan fuming "It won't take many more performances like that before I start changing personnel. We were awful".

Lee Dixon and Alan Shearer had already found the net when there was a full complement but the disadvantaged Gooners rose to the challenge and Ian Wright scored in the 59th minute to enable Arsenal to knock United off the top spot.

Asprilla's substitution at the break was the 7th time he had been hauled off early in only 13 starts.