Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wide defenders and chose to field an orthodox back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once notably said that not even the highest authority could compel him to change his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with alternative setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was bowing to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an style. Today is a different moment. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need adapt, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press discuss changing the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a more complete team because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not planning to employ three defenders in every match."
Availability Crisis Continue
With just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the precise date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
