Head coach Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to deploy an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his side dug in for a victory - securing only their second shutout of the season.
While he once famously stated that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to play with varied formations has always been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were faring sufficiently well - otherwise it would appear as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"Our aim was to establish an style. Now is a separate time. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the formation all the time, I can't change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us develop into a stronger side because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having just two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing guidance.
"He 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 always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude 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 don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
