View source for Dundee United F.C. in the 2000s

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
This covers the seasons from [[2000–01 in Scottish football|2000–01]] to [[2009–10 in Scottish football|2009–10]] in which the club won the [[2009–10 Scottish Cup|Scottish Cup]] for the second time and returned to [[European football]].

==2000–01==
{{main|2000–01 Dundee United F.C. season}}

The season began with [[Paul Sturrock]] resigning after just two games and [[Alex Smith (footballer born 1939)|Alex Smith]] being appointed after a caretaker spell. In the first year of the league being expanded to twelve teams and incorporating a top/bottom split, United finished eleventh, securing their Premier League status only in the penultimate game. The season saw a number of [[South America]]n players at the club in and around October, with most featuring just once. Indeed, the club used forty-two players during the season, with eight nationalities other than British.

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{{:2000–01 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2001–02==
{{main|2001–02 Dundee United F.C. season}}

The club finished eighth, an improvement on the previous season's eleventh-place finish. Briefly topping the table after remaining undefeated in the first four league matches, the club lost the next four and despite beating both [[Edinburgh]] clubs in the following two matches, lost four of the final five pre-split matches to finish in the bottom six. The club's form improved here, remaining undefeated in the final five matches. In the Cups, United exited in the quarter-finals of both the [[2000–01 Scottish League Cup#Quarter-finals|League Cup]] and [[2000–01 Scottish Cup#Quarter-finals|Scottish Cup]].

[[Captain (sports)|Captain]] [[Jason de Vos]] left at the start of the season and [[David Hannah]] ended his second spell at [[Tannadice Park|Tannadice]] towards the end of the season, signing for [[Greenock Morton F.C.|Greenock Morton]]. In all, four players were signed with ten departing.

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{{:2001–02 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2002–03==
{{main|2002–03 Dundee United F.C. season}}

United finished the season in eleventh place for the second time in three seasons, although [[Scottish Football League First Division|Scottish First Division]] side [[Falkirk F.C.|Falkirk]]'s insufficient stadium capacity meant there were no promotion/relegation this season. Alex Smith was sacked by new chairman [[Eddie Thompson (businessman)|Eddie Thompson]] in October, with former player [[Paul Hegarty]] acting as caretaker until [[Ian McCall (footballer)|Ian McCall]]'s appointment in January.

In the cups, United made it to the [[2002–03 Scottish League Cup#Semi-finals|League Cup semi-finals]] but didn't get past the [[2002–03 Scottish Cup#Third round|Scottish Cup third round]].

{| style="border:0px; float:right"
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|rowspan="2"|{{Football kit
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{{:2002–03 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2003–04==
{{main|2003–04 Dundee United F.C. season}}

United finished fifth in the league, securing a top-six finish for the first time since the split was introduced three seasons before.

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{{:2003–04 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2004–05==
{{main|2004–05 Dundee United F.C. season}}

United began the first in a three-year spell of finishing 9th in the league, in a season which saw Ian McCall sacked and predecessor [[Gordon Chisholm]] take the club to the [[2004–05 Scottish Cup#Final|Scottish Cup final]]. McCall had earlier taken United to the [[2004–05 Scottish League Cup#Semi-finals|League Cup semi-finals]], only for on-loan [[Nick Colgan]] – playing his second and final match – to let in seven goals as [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] cruised to victory.

Long-serving player [[Jim Paterson (footballer)|Jim Paterson]] left the club in pre-season and [[Owen Coyle]]'s brief second spell also ended a week later. No transfer fees were recouped from the seven transfers out this season with only [[Stevie Crawford]] costing money from the four players signed.

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{{:2004–05 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2005–06==
{{main|2005–06 Dundee United F.C. season}}

United again finished the season in 9th place, and again changed manager during the season, with former player [[Craig Brewster]] replacing the sacked Gordon Chisholm in January. Brewster went on to win just one of the remaining sixteen matches that season, with the club losing six games in a row between April and early May. Chisholm's fate was sealed after United threw away a two-goal lead at home to [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]] to exit in the [[2005–06 Scottish Cup#Third round|Scottish Cup third round]], while earlier in the season, the club exited at the first hurdle in both the [[2005–06 UEFA Cup#Second qualifying round|UEFA Cup]] and [[2005–06 Scottish League Cup#Third round|League Cup]].

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{{:2005–06 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2006–07==
{{main|2006–07 Dundee United F.C. season}}

United finished ninth in the Premier League for the third successive season, although the club gained nine more points this time. After a poor start to the season, Craig Brewster was sacked in October and replaced by [[Craig Levein]], who won his first game in a televised home match against [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]].

There was an overhaul of the playing staff with nine players arriving and as many as twelve leaving during the course of the season. No fees were recouped with most of the signings arriving costing either nominal or undisclosed fees.

The club won only one match in each cup competition, with [[St Johnstone F.C.|St Johnstone]] defeating United in the [[2006–07 Scottish League Cup#Third round|League Cup third round]] and [[Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.|Inverness CT]] winning in the [[2006–07 Scottish Cup#Fourth round|Scottish Cup fourth round]].

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{{:2006–07 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2007–08==
{{main|2007–08 Dundee United F.C. season}}

United secured only their second top-six finish when they finished the league season in fifth place. With the club in fourth place for most of the season, failure to win a post-split match saw the club eventually drop to fifth on the final day.

There was another high turnover of players this season with fifteen arriving between pre-season and the following close-season, and seven departing. [[Captain (sports)|Captain]] [[Barry Robson]]'s £1.25m sale to [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] brought in the club's highest sale since [[Billy Dodds]]' departure to [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] for £1.3m in December 1999.

The club were beaten on [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalties]] by Rangers in the [[2008 Scottish League Cup final|League Cup final]] and lost to [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]] in the [[2007–08 Scottish Cup#Replays 5|Scottish Cup fifth round]] after a [[replay (sports)|replay]].

{| style="border:0; float:right"
|
{{Football kit
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{{Football kit
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{{:2007–08 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2008–09==
{{main|2008–09 Dundee United F.C. season}}

The club began the season with a defeat at [[Scottish Football League First Division|First Division]] champions [[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]] and then held [[Scottish Premier League|SPL]] champions [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] and [[UEFA Cup]] entrants [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]] to draws.

Seven players were signed in pre-season with last season's top scorer, [[Noel Hunt]], departing for [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] in a £600,000 deal.

{| style="border:0; float:right"
|-
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{{Football kit
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{{:2008–09 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==2009–10==
{{main|2009–10 Dundee United F.C. season}}

The club enjoyed their best-ever [[Scottish Premier League|SPL]] finish, finishing in third place and securing a [[UEFA Europa League]] place.

Six players were signed in pre-season with another three arriving afterwards. One player was sold with several youngsters being loaned out.

The club won the [[Scottish Cup]] for the second time, defeating [[Ross County F.C.|Ross County]] 3–0 in the final.

{| style="border:0; float:right"
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{{:2009–10 Scottish Premier League|showteam=DNU|show_limit=3}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Dundee United}}
{{Dundee United F.C. seasons}}

[[Category:Dundee United F.C.]]