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 moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and instead field an traditional back four shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a back six in the final minutes as his side held on for a win - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once memorably stated that even the Pope could pressure him to change his system, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize alternative setups has remained part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I don't have the players to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Today is a separate time. We lack a lot of players, and we have to adapt, so they comprehend why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"When the press talk about changing the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is the end for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to evolve.
"We will become a more complete squad because when all the players are available, we are not planning to use a back three exclusively."
Squad Issues Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
