Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and instead field an traditional back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a back six in the latter minutes as his side dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously stated that not even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize alternative setups has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I don't have the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"We were trying to establish an style. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adapt, so they see the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the fans.
"Whenever you discuss changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the right time to adapt.
"We are going to become a stronger team because when all the players are back, we are not planning to play with a back three in every match."
Availability Challenges Loom Large
Having only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been in good form.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to return after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Players
While the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
