Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three formation with wing-backs and chose to deploy an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively became a back six in the final stages as his squad clung on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously stated that even the Pope could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the ability to play with different formations has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the players to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"The goal was to build an style. Currently is a separate moment. We lack a lot of players, and we need be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever media talk about altering the formation all the time, I can't change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"We will become a stronger team because when all the personnel return, we are not intending to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Issues Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a depleted squad, with seven first-team stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably still be heavily involved, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
While the specific date for the captain's return - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
