Manager Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to public noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an traditional back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the closing phase as his squad dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once famously said that not even the Pope could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the option to utilize varied setups has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I don't have the players to excel in that system, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Currently is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of players, and we have to adapt, so they understand why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"When you talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the moment to change.
"We will grow into a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Squad Crisis Continue
With just two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering input.
"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 speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
