Manager Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to field an standard four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times became a back six in the closing minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once notably stated that even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with varied setups has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were faring well enough - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I don't have the players to excel in that system, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an style. Now is a separate juncture. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the fans.
"Whenever media talk about altering the system constantly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the opportunity to evolve.
"We will grow into a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are back, we are not going to use a back three in every match."
Availability Crisis Continue
With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss 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 feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad 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 born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
