Boss Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to public noise would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual back three formation with wide defenders and opted to use an traditional four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his squad held on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably stated that not even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize different setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I lacked the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"The goal was to build an style. Today is a distinct time. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"When you talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, then is the opportunity to adapt.
"This will help us develop into a stronger side because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to play with a back three all the time."
Squad Crisis Persist
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. 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 unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
