Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to external pressure would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three setup with wing-backs and instead use an traditional back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his team clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably said that not even the Pope could compel him to change his system, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to establish an style. Today is a separate juncture. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the faithful.
"When you talk about changing the system all the time, I can't change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.
"This will help us become a better side because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to play with a back three exclusively."
Squad Challenges Persist
With just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
