Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to field an standard back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times became a back six in the latter minutes as his squad clung on for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once notably remarked that not even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim insists the option to utilize varied formations has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only implement the change when his team were faring sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the personnel to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Today is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"When the press discuss altering the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We will become a more complete side because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to use three defenders all the time."
Injury Issues Loom Large
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
