Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead deploy an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a back six in the closing stages as his squad held on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once famously stated that not even the Pope could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with alternative formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I lacked the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to build an philosophy. Currently is a different moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of the media, or the fans.
"When you criticize changing the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will grow into a better side because when all the players are available, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Injury Challenges Persist
Having only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been in good form.
He is, however, managing with a depleted roster, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
Although the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
