Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's formation due to media noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three setup with wing-backs and chose to deploy an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his team clung on for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously stated that not even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with alternative setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I lacked the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to establish an style. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they understand why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the fans.
"When the press criticize changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We are going to develop into a stronger side because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to employ three defenders exclusively."
Availability Crisis Persist
With just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been in good form.
He is, however, working with a depleted squad, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable 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, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of 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 leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.