Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
Although he once notably remarked that even the highest authority could pressure him to change his system, Amorim maintains the ability to utilize different formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would seem as if he was bowing to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I don't have the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Currently is a separate moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they see why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the supporters.
"When you criticize altering the formation constantly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the moment to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
Having only two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Remains
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the precise date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
