Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to field an standard back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his team held on for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once memorably stated that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the option to play with alternative setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I lacked the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"Our aim was to build an identity. Today is a separate juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we must adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"When you talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to evolve.
"We are going to develop into a stronger team because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Squad Crisis Continue
With only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably still be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
