Manager Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and opted to use an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a back six in the final minutes as his team dug in for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once notably remarked that even the Pope could pressure him to change his system, Amorim insists the capacity to play with different setups has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Today is a distinct juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever media criticize altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that is the moment to change.
"This will help us grow into a more complete team because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not going to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Challenges Loom Large
Having just two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
While the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
