Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wing-backs and instead deploy an standard back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a back six in the closing stages as his side clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once notably said that not even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with alternative setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were performing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to external criticism.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to excel in a back three, but it was the beginning of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to build an identity. Today is a separate time. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"When the press criticize altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"We will develop into a more complete side because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Squad Issues Loom Large
Having only two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
