Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have been "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three formation with wide defenders and chose to field an orthodox back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his side dug in for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably stated that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the option to play with different setups has remained part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were faring sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to external noise.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Today is a different juncture. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.
"When the press talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We will grow into a better side because when all the players are back, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."
Squad Challenges Persist
Having just two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the exact date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
