Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's formation due to media pressure would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three setup with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his squad clung on for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once famously stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the option to experiment with alternative setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were faring well enough - or else it would look as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I lacked the squad to play well in that system, but it was the start of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Today is a distinct moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they comprehend why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever the press talk about changing the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the opportunity to adapt.
"We are going to grow into a more complete squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
With only two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right 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 forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Endures
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players 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 expects his captain to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
While the precise timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
