Roy Keane has hit out at sections of Old Trafford supporters who he claims "can't even spell football, never mind understand it". Manchester United's captain was frustrated by the poor atmosphere at Wednesday night's Champions League victory over Dynamo Kiev.

"Sometimes you wonder, do they understand the game of football?" said Keane, who appeared to direct his comments at fans who sit in hospitality areas of the ground. "We're 1-0 up, then there are one or two stray passes and they're getting on players' backs. It's just not on. At the end of the day they need to get behind the team. Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch.

"We knew it was going to be hard at Old Trafford, but they want us to win these games by three or four. They want fantasy football and they should stay in the real world."

Keane's attack on the corporate fans struck a chord with the club's ordinary supporters. The Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association (IMUSA) have long campaigned against the gentrification of football, which has reduced the atmosphere at games.

IMUSA's Andy Walsh claimed the club should listen to what Keane is saying and he even called for the introduction of safe terracing areas.

"Anybody who can stomach a prawn sandwich doesn't deserve to be there," he said. "If we had our way there would be a noise detector under every seat and if it didn't reach a certain level, a light would go on in the police room and a steward would come along and lead you out and a kid from Salford would take your place.

"The gentrification of the game and the squeezing out of the hardcore supporters is something we have long campaigned about with IMUSA. The problem is that some of these fans have been spoilt by the club's success. They've short memories, or perhaps no memories at all, of the dark days when United used to struggle."

United declined to comment on Keane's outburst, which was made on the club's own television station, MUTV.