Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead use an traditional back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his side clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.
Although he once notably stated that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were faring well enough - lest it would seem as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he stated.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Today is a separate moment. We are missing a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the fans.
"Whenever you discuss altering the formation all the time, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the moment to evolve.
"We will grow into a better squad because when all the personnel return, we are not going to play with a back three exclusively."
Injury Challenges Continue
Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to return following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the precise timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
