Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to field an standard back four with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad held on for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
Although he once famously stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to play with alternative formations has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"The goal was to forge an style. Currently is a separate juncture. We lack a lot of players, and we have to be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"When you discuss altering the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"We are going to develop into a better team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to employ a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
With only two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to allow him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
