Let’s not get carried away. As I keep saying, when you’re in with where the singers are it always seems loud and a good day in there sounds brilliant. But the rest of the ground are too quiet and to the rest of the ground the singing areas are hard to sing along to, sometimes you can’t tell what’s being sung, sometimes you can hear two songs at the same time from the two areas, often most of the ground have no idea about the words to the song that’s being sung, and there’s been a mid-game silence from the singing sections in every game so far.
Every atmosphere this season has been just okay, as a stadium on the whole.
I'm not getting carried away. I never do. ;-) There is definitely an audible difference between the atmosphere so far this season compared to last seasons atmosphere at the Etihad.
My partner sits in block 212, above blocks 111/110, and next to the away fans. She has noticed the improvement in the atmosphere as she can now hear the singing coming from SSL1, blocks 111, 110, and 109, more clearly, and more often than last season.
The singing in SSL1 has also spread further down the stand towards the CB stand since safe standing seating has been installed.
The safe standing seating/barriers have definitely had a possitive impact on the atmosphere at the Etihad. (It's probably more psychological than anything else. Having a barrier in-front of you brings back memories of the Kippax at MR for us older fans.)
With Burnley and Palace up next at the Etihad in the PL, it will be interesting to see if the improvement in the atmosphere continues or starts to drop off. After those 2 games it's Everton, then West Ham, which are two big games, with both teams bringing big away followings that should fill the away end.