Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's tactical system due to external pressure would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and opted to field an orthodox back four shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately functioned as a back six in the final phase as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once notably stated that even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the option to utilize varied formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I don't have the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an style. Today is a separate juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need adapt, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"When you discuss changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is the end for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that is the moment to adapt.
"We will become a stronger side because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not going to use a back three exclusively."
Availability Crisis Persist
With only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
However, the 31-year-old will likely still be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise date for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
