Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to media scrutiny would have meant "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an standard back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a six-man defensive block in the closing phase as his squad held on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once famously said that even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to play with different setups has remained part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were faring at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the personnel to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to establish an style. Now is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of players, and we must be flexible, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the fans.
"When you talk about altering the system constantly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We will become a stronger side because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Squad Issues Loom Large
With only two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
