Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and chose to deploy an standard four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately transformed into a back six in the final stages as his side held on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could force him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize varied setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were faring sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I lacked the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"The goal was to establish an identity. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must adapt, so they understand why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the faithful.
"When media talk about altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the moment to evolve.
"This will help us become a more complete team because when all the players are available, we are not going to use a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Loom Large
Having just two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to return following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will likely still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on offering insight.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured 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 continental competition.
