Boss Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to public noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three formation with wing-backs and opted to use an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a back six in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a win - securing only their second shutout of the season.
Although he once memorably said that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to utilize different formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was bowing to external criticism.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Today is a distinct time. We lack a full complement of players, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, then is the right time to adapt.
"We will become a better squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not going to play with a back three in every match."
Injury Crisis Loom Large
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
