Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have been "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to deploy an orthodox four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his team held on for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously said that not even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with varied formations has remained part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an style. Currently is a separate juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they see why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"When media talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when all the players return, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."
Availability Challenges Persist
With just two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue offering input.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
While the precise date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
