Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Manchester United's tactical system due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to field an traditional back four with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively functioned as a back six in the closing stages as his team dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second shutout of the season.
Although he once famously remarked that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with alternative formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"At the time I came here last season, I realized maybe I didn't possess the squad to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Today is a different moment. We are missing a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever media discuss altering the formation constantly, I can't change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We will develop into a more complete squad because when all the players are available, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
With just two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to 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 understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
