Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to external scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and chose to field an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively became a back six in the latter phase as his squad dug in for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once memorably stated that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize different setups has always been part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were performing at an acceptable level - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"The goal was to build an philosophy. Today is a separate time. We don't have a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they understand why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will develop into a better team because when all the players return, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."
Availability Crisis Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a depleted roster, with seven first-team stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will probably still be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
