Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to public pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead field an traditional back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively transformed into a back six in the latter stages as his squad clung on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably remarked that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize alternative setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were performing at an acceptable level - or else it would seem as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I don't have the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he commented.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Now is a separate juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever media talk about altering the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us become a more complete team because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not going to employ a back three all the time."
Injury Issues Continue
With just two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the precise date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
