Manager Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to external pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead deploy an traditional four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter phase as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once notably remarked that even the Pope could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with varied formations has remained part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I don't have the squad to excel in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to forge an style. Now is a distinct moment. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"When the press criticize altering the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to use a back three in every match."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
With only two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be urging his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
