Manager Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three formation with wing-backs and instead use an standard four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively became a back six in the closing phase as his squad held on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
Despite he once famously said that not even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize varied formations has consistently been part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an style. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press criticize altering the system constantly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We will become a stronger side because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to use a back three in every match."
Availability Crisis Persist
Having just two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team players already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing input.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
While the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
