Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to media scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wide defenders and chose to use an standard back four shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a back six in the final stages as his side held on for a win - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once notably remarked that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize alternative formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Today is a separate juncture. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we must adjust, so they see why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the system constantly, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the opportunity to evolve.
"We are going to develop into a stronger team because when all the players are back, we are not intending to use a back three in every match."
Squad Challenges Persist
With just two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Role Endures
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Players
Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
