Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and opted to use an orthodox back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his squad dug in for a win - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once notably remarked that even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim maintains the option to utilize different setups has remained part of his strategy.
However, he clarifies he could only implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I don't have the players to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to build an style. Now is a distinct juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they see why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of the media, or the fans.
"When media criticize changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a better team because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."
Availability Crisis Continue
With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a depleted roster, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
