Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and chose to field an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once famously stated that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the option to utilize different setups has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Currently is a separate juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we have to adapt, so they see why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press criticize altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to change.
"We are going to develop into a more complete team because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to play with a back three in every match."
Squad Challenges Continue
With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Endures
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Players
Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
