Sunday’s game at Old Trafford was significant not only for the
team dropping their 17th and 18th points at home in the league this
season, but also for the second trial of a dedicated ‘singing section’
within the ground aimed at improving the atmosphere.
Whilst the declining quality of the atmosphere at Premier League grounds up and down the country is intrinsically linked to a socioeconomic shift in match-going clientele, United fans have also been dealt more ‘below expectations’ performances than they expected this season, even given the transition from Ferguson to Moyes.
Dejected: Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic look down in the dumps after being denied victory
Lonely place: David Moyes has come under pressure after a poor start to the season
Respect: United fans hold up their scarves in memory of those who died in the Munich Air disaster
For the most part, the crowd have been patient with the new regime,
backing Moyes vocally when things haven’t gone United’s way by chanting
his name, though the creation of a chant indicating we’ll stand by David
Moyes is hardly a ringing endorsement of the success of his tenure so
far.
However, in and out of the ground on Sunday, the tide was beginning to turn - the crowd are unaccustomed to languishing seventh, nine points off even Champions League qualification and they are unaccustomed to one dimensional football with no back-up plan to unlock the opposition’s defence.
Though there were times that results went against us in Ferguson’s last season in charge, the fans always expected a reaction from the team in the next game and it is that expectancy that is beginning to ebb away, taking some of our enthusiasm with it.
Gutted: David De Gea and Michael Carrick look devastated after another setback
Jubilation: Fulham players celebrate Bent's last-gasp equaliser
No one was calling for the manager’s head as Darren Bent equalised on
Sunday, but the vocal support he enjoyed during upset losses to West
Brom, Everton and Newcastle in the league, and Sunderland in the cup was
absent.
The purpose of the singing section trial was to allow those that wanted to sing to sit together, in the hope that their enthusiasm would spread around the ground however, from my perspective as part of it, that failed to occur.
False dawn: Carrick's deflected strike wasn't enough to seal victory
With only two trials to base an opinion on though, and some frankly
uninspiring football played during both, it is difficult to measure its
effect.
Would the atmosphere have been any better if Ferguson was still in charge? Probably,
Whilst the declining quality of the atmosphere at Premier League grounds up and down the country is intrinsically linked to a socioeconomic shift in match-going clientele, United fans have also been dealt more ‘below expectations’ performances than they expected this season, even given the transition from Ferguson to Moyes.
Dejected: Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic look down in the dumps after being denied victory
Lonely place: David Moyes has come under pressure after a poor start to the season
Respect: United fans hold up their scarves in memory of those who died in the Munich Air disaster
However, in and out of the ground on Sunday, the tide was beginning to turn - the crowd are unaccustomed to languishing seventh, nine points off even Champions League qualification and they are unaccustomed to one dimensional football with no back-up plan to unlock the opposition’s defence.
Though there were times that results went against us in Ferguson’s last season in charge, the fans always expected a reaction from the team in the next game and it is that expectancy that is beginning to ebb away, taking some of our enthusiasm with it.
Gutted: David De Gea and Michael Carrick look devastated after another setback
Jubilation: Fulham players celebrate Bent's last-gasp equaliser
The purpose of the singing section trial was to allow those that wanted to sing to sit together, in the hope that their enthusiasm would spread around the ground however, from my perspective as part of it, that failed to occur.
False dawn: Carrick's deflected strike wasn't enough to seal victory
Would the atmosphere have been any better if Ferguson was still in charge? Probably,
