Manager Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to external pressure would have meant "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wing-backs and instead field an standard back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively became a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably stated that even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with different setups has always been part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I don't have the players to play well in a back three, but it was the start of a project," he said.
"The goal was to forge an identity. Now is a different time. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they see why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever you talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.
"We will develop into a better side because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to play with a back three exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having only two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured players view matches from the stands, 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 is sure his captain to carry on offering insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
