Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to public noise would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead field an traditional back four shielded by two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once memorably remarked that even the Pope could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with varied formations has always been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - lest it would appear as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"The goal was to build an philosophy. Currently is a different time. We don't have a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the moment to change.
"We are going to become a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Issues Persist
Having just two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his manager to allow him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Endures
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
