Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's formation due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three setup with wing-backs and opted to use an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a back six in the final stages as his side held on for a win - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the ability to experiment with varied setups has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he clarifies he could solely make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"At the time I came here last season, I recognized maybe I don't have the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Now is a distinct moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they see why we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"When the press talk about changing the formation all the time, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to evolve.
"We will become a more complete team because when our full complement of players return, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number 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 be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be urging his boss to let him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Remains
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
