Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary back three setup with wing-backs and instead field an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
While he once notably said that even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with varied formations has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I don't have the players to excel in that system, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"Our aim was to establish an style. Now is a separate juncture. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to adapt, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press criticize altering the formation all the time, I can't change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that is the right time to change.
"We are going to grow into a better squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
With just two victories in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the precise date for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.