Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and chose to use an orthodox back four shielded by two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter minutes as his squad clung on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
While he once memorably stated that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the players to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"Our aim was to build an identity. Today is a distinct moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"This isn't because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever media criticize altering the formation constantly, I can't make a change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, then is the opportunity to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a stronger squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders in every match."
Squad Challenges Persist
Having only two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on offering guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the precise timeline for the captain's 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 welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
