Manager Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to external noise would have signaled "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary back three setup with wide defenders and instead field an standard four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times became a back six in the latter stages as his team dug in for a win - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.
Although he once notably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with varied setups has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing well enough - lest it would look as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to build an style. Now is a distinct time. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize changing the formation all the time, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to change.
"We are going to develop into a better squad because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to employ a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Continue
Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Role Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has flaws at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured 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 international duty.
