Boss Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a back six in the latter stages as his side held on for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably stated that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the ability to play with alternative formations has always been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We lack a lot of players, and we have to adapt, so they see why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We are going to develop into a more complete squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Squad Challenges Persist
With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing insight.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Players
Although the exact date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
