Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary back three setup with wide defenders and chose to field an standard back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the closing stages as his side dug in for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that even the Pope could force him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the option to play with different formations has always been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to build an style. Today is a distinct moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we must adapt, so they understand why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever media discuss changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to evolve.
"This will help us become a more complete squad because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Issues Persist
Having just two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Remains
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing input.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
