Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to external scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual back three formation with wing-backs and opted to deploy an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a back six in the final phase as his team dug in for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once memorably stated that even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with different formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe 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 forge an style. Now is a distinct moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever you criticize changing the formation all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, then is the moment to change.
"We are going to become a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not planning to employ three defenders exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
With only two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely still be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing insight.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many aspects 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."
Return Timeline for Key Players
Although the precise timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
