Boss Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media noise would have meant "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and instead deploy an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his side dug in for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously stated that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to utilize different setups has always been part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the players to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Currently is a distinct time. We don't have a lot of players, and we must adapt, so they see why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will grow into a more complete team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders in every match."
Availability Crisis Persist
With only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been in good form.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
While the precise timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured players 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.
