Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to deploy an traditional back four with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his side dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second shutout of the season.
Although he once notably said that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the ability to play with different formations has always been part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were performing at an acceptable level - or else it would seem as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We don't have a full complement of players, and we must be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"When the press discuss changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the right time to evolve.
"We will become a more complete team because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders all the time."
Squad Challenges Continue
With just two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be urging his boss to allow him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Remains
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
