Manager Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual back three formation with wide defenders and opted to use an orthodox back four with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his team dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once memorably stated that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the ability to experiment with varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing well enough - or else it would look as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the players to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Currently is a separate time. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we have to adapt, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We are going to develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to employ a back three all the time."
Squad Challenges Continue
Having only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Endures
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot 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 skipper.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a many things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
