Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and opted to use an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a back six in the final phase as his squad dug in for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once memorably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the option to utilize varied setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an identity. Currently is a different moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we must adapt, so they see why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"When media talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a more complete squad because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
Having only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Players
Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
