Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and chose to deploy an traditional back four with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once famously said that not even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I lacked the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an style. Currently is a different moment. We don't have a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the moment to evolve.
"We will develop into a more complete side because when all the personnel return, we are not planning to play with a back three all the time."
Availability Issues Continue
With only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a depleted squad, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on offering input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
