Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and instead use an standard four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his side held on for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once famously said that not even the Pope could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the option to experiment with alternative setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I lacked the personnel to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Now is a different moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"When media talk about altering the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the opportunity to evolve.
"We are going to grow into a more complete squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Injury Challenges Continue
Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering insight.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
