Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and opted to use an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could force him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to utilize different formations has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to build an style. Now is a distinct juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I can't change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"This will help us develop into a stronger team because when all the personnel return, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Continue
With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly 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 strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable 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.
