Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and opted to deploy an standard back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the latter phase as his team clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once notably stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim insists the option to play with varied setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized maybe I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he commented.
"We were trying to build an philosophy. Now is a distinct juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they see the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to adapt.
"We will become a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not planning to employ a back three all the time."
Injury Challenges Persist
With only two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to carry on providing 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 always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Players
While the precise timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
