Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have signaled "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wide defenders and opted to field an orthodox back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his team held on for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
Despite he once memorably remarked that not even the highest authority could force him to adjust his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with alternative formations has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I came here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the players to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we have to adapt, so they see why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the fans.
"When media talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that is the right time to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not intending to employ three defenders in every match."
Injury Issues Persist
Having only two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to allow him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering guidance.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
