Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his customary back three formation with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once notably said that even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to utilize alternative formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the beginning of a process," he said.
"We were trying to forge an style. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of players, and we need be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"This isn't because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever media criticize changing the formation all the time, I can't make a change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"We will grow into a better team because when all the players are available, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."
Availability Challenges Continue
With only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a depleted roster, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars view 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 carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
