Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously stated that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to play with different formations has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring at an acceptable level - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I don't have the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to build an style. Now is a separate moment. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they comprehend why we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our system, then is the moment to evolve.
"We will grow into a stronger squad because when all the players are back, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Squad Challenges Persist
Having just two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to return after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing input.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"He has flaws 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 lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
