Manager Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have meant "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side dug in for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
While he once notably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with different setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would look as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I lacked the players to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Today is a separate juncture. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever the press talk about changing the system repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that is the opportunity to evolve.
"We will become a stronger side because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
