Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have been "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and opted to deploy an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a back six in the latter minutes as his side clung on for a win - securing only their second shutout of the season.
Although he once notably stated that even the highest authority could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with varied setups has remained part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an style. Today is a different moment. We lack a lot of players, and we need adapt, so they see why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever media criticize changing the formation all the time, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.
"This will help us become a more complete team because when all the personnel return, we are not intending to use three defenders all the time."
Squad Crisis Continue
Having just two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a depleted roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering insight.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
Although the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
