Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and opted to field an standard four-man defense with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a back six in the final phase as his squad dug in for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once notably stated that not even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim insists the option to experiment with different formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he clarifies he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I didn't possess the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an identity. Today is a different juncture. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to adapt, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the demands of journalists, or the supporters.
"When you criticize altering the system all the time, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We will develop into a stronger team because when all the personnel are back, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
With only two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
