Manager Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's tactical system due to media pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to field an standard back four with two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his team held on for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably remarked that not even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to external criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the start of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an style. Currently is a different moment. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"When you criticize changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We will develop into a stronger team because when all the players are available, we are not planning to play with a back three exclusively."
Squad Issues Loom Large
With just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of things 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."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the precise timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
