Manager Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and instead field an standard back four with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times became a six-man defensive block in the closing stages as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with varied formations has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I don't have the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the start of a process," he stated.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Now is a distinct moment. We don't have a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they understand why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"When media talk about changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will think I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that is the opportunity to evolve.
"We are going to become a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Squad Crisis Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Role Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the precise date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
