Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have meant "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and instead field an traditional four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his team held on for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
Although he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could force him to adjust his system, Amorim insists the capacity to play with different formations has remained part of his strategy.
However, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - otherwise it would look as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I lacked the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Currently is a different juncture. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they see why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press criticize altering the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to evolve.
"We will become a more complete team because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to use a back three all the time."
Injury Challenges Loom Large
With only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a depleted roster, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable 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 miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
