Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three setup with wide defenders and instead field an traditional back four shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times transformed into a back six in the latter minutes as his side held on for a victory - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
While he once famously said that not even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim insists the ability to play with alternative setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the squad to excel in that system, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Today is a different time. We are missing a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they understand why we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"When the press criticize changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, then is the opportunity to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are back, we are not going to play with a back three in every match."
Squad Crisis Continue
With only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Endures
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the specific date for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
