Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three setup with wing-backs and chose to field an standard four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his team clung on for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably stated that not even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize varied setups has always been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I lacked the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to build an style. Now is a distinct time. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever you discuss changing the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to adapt.
"This will help us become a better team because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
With just two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a depleted roster, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless 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.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
Although the exact date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
