Manager Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have been "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a back six in the final stages as his squad clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once famously said that even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with different setups has always been part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I lacked the squad to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Now is a distinct time. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adapt, so they see why we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you discuss changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"This will help us become a more complete team because when all the personnel are available, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Injury Issues Loom Large
Having only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Remains
However, the Portuguese star will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. 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 wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the precise timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
