Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and chose to field an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a back six in the closing phase as his squad held on for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once memorably said that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the ability to utilize varied formations has remained part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the players to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Now is a different juncture. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about changing the system all the time, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We will develop into a more complete side because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to use a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Loom Large
With only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his boss to let him to return following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
