Jose Mourinho's disparaging remarks regarding Manchester United's "quiet" fans has not gone unnoticed.
Although the timing of his complaint left something to be desired, Old Trafford scarcely communicates the kind of atmosphere one would expect of such a cavernous, frequently-full stadium.
With a capacity of over 75,000, the experience within United's home ground rarely reaches the kind of frenetic excitement that the club's traveling supporters so often convey.
Although plans are afoot to expand Old Trafford's capacity even further still, it has today become apparent that the hierarchy above even Mourinho himself are not ignorant to his claims.
Reports in today's Telegraph have revealed that the next meeting of Manchester United's fans forum will include senior executives from the club itself.
Scarcely oblivious to Mourinho's condescending claims that Old Trafford does not match up to Portsmouth's Fratton Park, "a small stadium [in which] the atmosphere was incredible", Chris Moss, the Ticketing and Marketing Strategy Operations manager at United is on the record as previously stating that the atmosphere at Old Trafford "could be improved."
In previous meetings between the club and it's supporters, the possibility of re-introducing a standing option for fans has been floated:
United are open to the idea of safe standing being introduced at Old Trafford - a prototype stand was brought to one fans' forum meeting last year - but they acknowledge that it will take a change in the law to implement.
As yet, sports minister Tracey Crouch last year reiterated that the UK government had "no current plans" to augment this law.
With no obvious changes to the structure of the stadium itself seemingly possible at the moment, the concerns of the United fans themselves would appear to demonstrate the true source behind the "quiet" atmosphere in Old Trafford:
We believe that atmosphere is primarily dependent on the perceived relationship between fans and club — including the degree of supporter ownership and engagement. In the absence of any imminent changes in the former we therefore concentrate on other areas where we can have an impact in the short to medium term.
For now, the impending meeting between the board and the fans will have to do.
