Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to media noise would have signaled "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to use an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively became a back six in the latter minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
Although he once notably stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the option to utilize different setups has always been part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized maybe I lacked the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Today is a distinct time. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the fans.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to change.
"This will help us become a more complete side because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Persist
With just two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to return after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
