Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to field an standard four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably said that even the highest authority could force him to adjust his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize different setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to play well in a back three, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an style. Today is a separate juncture. We lack a lot of players, and we need adapt, so they see the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"When you talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that is the right time to change.
"This will help us develop into a more complete squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not going to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Continue
With just two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to return following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
