Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wing-backs and chose to deploy an standard back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a back six in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with alternative setups has remained part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only implement the change when his team were performing well enough - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I came here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the players to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Today is a different juncture. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.
"When you talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the moment to evolve.
"We are going to become a better squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."
Squad Challenges Continue
With only two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
