Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and opted to use an standard four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively transformed into a back six in the final minutes as his squad dug in for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously stated that not even the Pope could force him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with varied setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"We were trying to build an philosophy. Now is a different time. We lack a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they comprehend why we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"We will develop into a more complete side because when all the players are back, we are not going to employ a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be urging his boss to let him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be heavily involved, as while most injured players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars 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 duty.
