Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wing-backs and chose to field an standard back four with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his team dug in for a victory - securing just their second shutout of the season.
Although he once famously said that not even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the ability to utilize varied formations has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I lacked the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Currently is a different time. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"When the press discuss changing the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when all the personnel return, we are not planning to employ a back three in every match."
Availability Issues Continue
With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a depleted squad, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
