Manager Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead use an standard back four with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side clung on for a victory - securing just their second shutout of the season.
Despite he once famously said that even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize alternative formations has remained part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would seem as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I don't have the squad to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an identity. Now is a separate time. We lack a lot of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they see the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever media talk about changing the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"We will grow into a stronger side because when our full complement of players return, we are not planning to use a back three in every match."
Squad Challenges Loom Large
Having only two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
