Boss Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media noise would have signaled "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three setup with wing-backs and chose to use an traditional back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a back six in the closing minutes as his team clung on for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once notably stated that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the option to utilize different setups has always been part of his strategy.
However, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the squad to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"We were trying to build an philosophy. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we have to adjust, so they comprehend why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever you discuss changing the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to change.
"This will help us become a stronger side because when all the personnel return, we are not going to play with a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to carry on offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
While the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
