Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Man Utd's tactical system due to external scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to field an standard back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a back six in the latter phase as his side clung on for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to play with alternative setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the players to excel in that system, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an identity. Today is a separate moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"When the press discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our system, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will become a more complete side because when all the players are back, we are not planning to use three defenders all the time."
Squad Issues Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be urging his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch 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 carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"He has flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of 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 true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
