Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary back three formation with wide defenders and instead deploy an orthodox four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the closing stages as his team clung on for a crucial result - securing only their second shutout of the season.
Despite he once notably stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with alternative setups has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were faring at an acceptable level - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Now is a separate moment. We lack a lot of players, and we have to adjust, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the supporters.
"When you talk about altering the system repeatedly, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"We will become a better team because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Challenges Loom Large
Having just two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against winless 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 the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering insight.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.