Manager Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an orthodox four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively transformed into a back six in the final phase as his squad held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously remarked that even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with alternative formations has remained part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Now is a separate time. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"When you criticize altering the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a better side because when our full complement of players are back, we are not going to employ a back three in every match."
Squad Crisis Continue
With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars watch 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 is sure his leader to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad 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 leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
