Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and chose to field an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once famously stated that not even the Pope could compel him to change his system, Amorim insists the ability to utilize varied setups has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Now is a different juncture. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"When you discuss changing the system constantly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to change.
"We are going to develop into a more complete side because when all the players are back, we are not intending to play with a back three all the time."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
Having only two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering insight.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Players
Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
