Manager Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead use an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his squad clung on for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably said that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the ability to play with different formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I lacked the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to build an philosophy. Today is a separate juncture. We are missing a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press discuss changing the formation all the time, I can't change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, then is the opportunity to evolve.
"We will grow into a more complete team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Issues Continue
Having only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been in good form.
He is, however, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Role Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering insight.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
