Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to field an orthodox back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the closing minutes as his side clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably said that even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with varied setups has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I came here last season, I realized maybe I lacked the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Today is a separate juncture. We lack a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they see why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the supporters.
"When the press criticize changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that becomes the opportunity to change.
"This will help us grow into a better team because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Persist
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been in good form.
He is, however, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Role Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
