The 2000-01 campaign was a season of deep disappointment and internal turmoil for Everton as The Toffees plummeted into a nervous, drawn-out relegation battle, ultimately finishing a perilous 16th, manager Walter Smith's lowest league finish. The team's survival was hard-fought, secured late on amid a year plagued by long-term injuries and severe financial difficulties that forced the controversial sale of academy product Francis Jeffers. Leading the line with his characteristic power was the veteran Kevin Campbell, whose 9 league goals proved decisive in anchoring the attack. The campaign is also defined by the high-profile, yet ultimately ineffective, arrival of iconic playmaker Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne, who struggled for form and fitness, cementing a turbulent year that also saw the club suffer a humiliating FA Cup fourth-round exit to local rivals Tranmere Rovers.