Hello and welcome to the first of what will be many CM9798 experiments we intend to run across the summer months. I’ve always admired the ability of season one Man Utd to close out the Premier League using a bare basic 4-4-2 and concede less than a goal a game in the process. But just how good are they? So, here comes the challenge…

…we’re going to play out an entire season with one golden rule, we’re not allowed to field a Goalkeeper in ANY of the games. We’ll be playing 5-4-F*****g-2. The ‘keepers have been placed up for sale.

And here’s generally how we’ll be lining up with Curtis in the sweeper role.

In-game the AI will assume the left-back is the ‘keeper so Phil Neville will be tasked with the job of rush-keeper. That should be interesting. We pass the first test as the Charity Shield is in the bag!

We concede our first goal as we thrash Wimbledon 5-1. Bolton Wanderers are cleaned up 4-0 and Phil gets a 10. We snap up Pinto and Signori to bolster the attack and Tom Youngs to add to the youth. This is my favourite result so far.

We meet with our first defeat, and in typical United fashion in this season, its against an abysmal side.

A draw with Blackburn another blemish (0-0) but we dispatch Parma in our next CL group stage encounter. We’re top of the league standard United style. So far, so good. Big Phil is the top man so far playing left-back and ‘keeper all at once;

With Giggs out the Vicar makes an entrance, overall the team is taking good shape.

In Europe we are untouchable, even away at Juventus we largely take control restricting them to just 4 shots.

We’re pretty much through after another victory against Parma, but we’ve struggled for goals in the league over November and lost 1-0 to Sheff Wed of all people.

No ‘keeper and only 1 conceded. Majestic. We wrap up the half way point with a great result from a United perspective.

Our half-way hero has to be Phil Neville with 7 man of the matches already and an outrageous average rating for a left-back. He’s doing so well Juventus have shortlisted him.

Not a bad looking table all things considered. 0.4 goals conceded per game.

We clean up in Europe as we cruise through the groups conceding just one goal. Phil f******* Neville! Our reward? PSV over two legs.

Blackburn are defeated in the League Cup quarter-final but this time is MoM for Curtis at sweeper.

We finally find some goals in the league and thrash our rivals…no not City. Even with Pinto, Signori and the Hoff we have really struggled. This United side loves a 1-0 or a 0-0.

Its man of the match number 11 for Phil Neville as Chelsea are cast aside. No f****** ‘keepers man!

Phil can’t save us every day; Newcastle knock us out the League Cup, consolation its Phil’s 12^th man of the match and its only mid-Feb.

Nobody wants our ‘keepers…

Another happy day against Liverpool…

…is quickly forgotten with our first thrashing of the season.

Still…looks good so far.

Ah s***. We beat Coventry but we’ll miss big Phil.

We wrap up the Champions League quarters with yet another masterclass from Phil.

But this is terrible news.

We take a first-leg advantage back to Old Trafford, thankfully we have Phil for mid-week football.

We blow the FA Cup in a replay at Blackburn. We are nothing without the lesser Neville.

We make it past Rangers and we’ll face off against Barca in the grand finale.

Good old Phil…

Talk about a backlog

And that’s it, you can win things without ‘keepers.

The final table:

Conceding less than 0.5 goals per game without a ‘keeper. Proof that Man United’s defence in season one is an absolute unit, something to behold. If I had to describe this season in one sentence? Phil Neville gathers it comfortably! Bit of a headache for the CL Final.

And oh it shows…Gary steals the limelight.

And with that we wrap up what I would call a successful demonstration of just how good season one Man Utd are defensively. If you ever win the Premier League in season one with another side, you are doing well! The final stats:

Clearly the fans love to see it!

And here he is, the lauded greatest player in CM history, Phil Neville…

And with that I bid you goodbye from our first summer special. Do stay with us for more totally bizarre antics as we test the limits of CM9798!

You can follow Andrew on twitter: @KingOfTheRooks