Boss Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to media scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an traditional back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter minutes as his side dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second shutout of the season.
While he once notably remarked that not even the Pope could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was bowing to external noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I lacked the personnel to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to establish an identity. Now is a different juncture. We lack a lot of personnel, and we have to adapt, so they comprehend why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to adapt.
"We will become a more complete side because when all the players are back, we are not planning to employ three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Continue
Having only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players 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 continental duty.
