Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to use an standard back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively became a six-man defensive block in the closing stages as his side held on for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
While he once memorably said that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with varied setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing well enough - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an style. Currently is a different time. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever media discuss altering the formation constantly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a more complete side because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to employ a back three exclusively."
Injury Challenges Loom Large
With just two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
