Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and instead deploy an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once notably remarked that not even the Pope could force him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with different setups has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - or else it would seem as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I don't have the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to build an philosophy. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"When you talk about altering the formation constantly, I can't change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our system, that becomes the right time to change.
"This will help us develop into a more complete side because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to play with three defenders in every match."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to return after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing input.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Players
While the precise date for Fernandes' return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
