Manager Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have signaled "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately functioned as a back six in the closing minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously said that not even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with alternative formations has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were faring at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Now is a different time. We don't have a full complement of players, and we have to adjust, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"When media talk about altering the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We are going to become a stronger side because when all the players are back, we are not intending to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Issues Persist
Having only two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a depleted roster, with seven senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely still be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has flaws at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
While the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
