Boss Ruben Amorim argues that altering Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wing-backs and chose to deploy an standard back four shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his squad held on for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
While he once memorably stated that not even the Pope could compel him to adjust his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with different setups has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely make the switch when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the squad to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Today is a distinct juncture. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they see the reason we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"When you criticize changing the system all the time, I can't change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We are going to become a better side because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Challenges Loom Large
With only two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be urging his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on offering insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
