Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and chose to use an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter phase as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once notably said that even the Pope could force him to adjust his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with varied setups has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were faring sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I don't have the squad to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to forge an style. Now is a separate juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we have to adjust, so they see why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever you talk about changing the formation all the time, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our system, that is the right time to evolve.
"We will become a better team because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not planning to play with a back three all the time."
Squad Crisis Continue
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be urging his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already saying he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured players 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 continental duty.
