Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a back six in the closing phase as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once memorably said that not even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with alternative formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an identity. Now is a separate time. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever media criticize changing the system all the time, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a stronger team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to play with a back three exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue offering input.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
