Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and chose to deploy an standard four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his team dug in for a win - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.
Although he once famously said that not even the Pope could force him to adjust his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize alternative formations has remained part of his plan.
However, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Today is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.
"When the press talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, then is the right time to adapt.
"This will help us develop into a more complete team because when our full complement of players return, we are not intending to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having only two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
