Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's formation due to media scrutiny would have been "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his customary back three formation with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively functioned as a back six in the final phase as his team held on for a crucial result - securing only their second shutout of the season.
While he once notably said that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with varied formations has always been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was giving in to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the players to play well in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an style. Now is a distinct juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever media talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, then is the moment to evolve.
"We are going to become a more complete squad because when our full complement of players are back, we are not planning to use a back three in every match."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many 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 specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
