Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to use an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the closing stages as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably said that even the Pope could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to play with alternative setups has always been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I don't have the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he stated.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need be flexible, so they see the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"When media talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"We are going to become a better team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not going to play with three defenders exclusively."
Squad Issues Persist
With just two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on offering insight.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"He has bad things 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 practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure 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 specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
