Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to use an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once famously stated that even the Pope could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim insists the ability to play with varied setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were faring sufficiently well - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Now is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we have to adapt, so they see why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize changing the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a stronger side because when all the players return, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
Having only two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
