Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to external noise would have meant "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his customary back three setup with wide defenders and opted to use an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad clung on for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously stated that even the highest authority could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to utilize varied setups has consistently been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would appear as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Today is a different moment. We lack a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We are going to develop into a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not intending to play with a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
With just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing insight.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
Although the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars 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 continental competition.
