Well, we could go back to the club's early years when they nearly got relegated to the third tier of English football if you want to get technical. However, aside from that, the only time United have ever dominated was the '90s onwards. United were getting higher attendances at Maine Road than city during their brief stay there and they won one trophy in that time.
And as for expecting success and the like, we went 26 years thinking we were never going to win the title. Hardly a case of turning up and thinking something would turn us around eventually.
It's a moot point, anyway. Success has nothing to do with the level of support. City have been turd for 34 years now and even when they were down in the third division they had a fairly large following. Difference being they thought the way to support a team was inflatable bananas and the like... That's the difference, they 'ballooned', United just got on with supporting the team.
This is the point I'm trying to make. You don't have to act like a loon, you don't have to jump around and you don't have to deliberately try to have fun to get behind the team. It works just as well with people, as you put it, "standing looking cool" but singing at the same time. That Red Army chant at Warrington was good, but did jumping around like a tw*t at the same time really add anything to it? Of course not.
You don't have to 'balloon' to support the team. That is all.
I feel like I'm going around in circles now, so I'll leave it.
PS - It's tête-à-tête.