Head coach Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three setup with wide defenders and chose to deploy an standard four-man defense with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively became a back six in the final phase as his side dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once famously said that not even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the option to utilize varied formations has remained part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was bowing to external criticism.
"When I came here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he commented.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the formation constantly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our system, then is the moment to change.
"This will help us become a stronger side because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use a back three all the time."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the precise date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
