Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a back six in the latter stages as his team held on for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once memorably stated that even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with different setups has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would seem as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the personnel to play well in that system, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"Our aim was to forge an style. Now is a distinct juncture. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the supporters.
"When the press criticize altering the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our system, that becomes the right time to change.
"We are going to develop into a more complete squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to play with three defenders in every match."
Squad Crisis Persist
With only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a depleted roster, with seven senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to return following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the specific date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
