Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have been "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and opted to deploy an orthodox back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times became a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously said that even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize alternative formations has always been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would look as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to establish an identity. Now is a distinct juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we need be flexible, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you criticize altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that becomes the opportunity to change.
"We will develop into a stronger team because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to employ three defenders all the time."
Squad Issues Continue
With only two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the precise timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
