Boss Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and chose to deploy an standard four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a back six in the closing phase as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
While he once notably said that not even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize alternative setups has always been part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were faring at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"When you talk about changing the formation constantly, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We will develop into a better side because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to play with three defenders exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
With just two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That figure will rise if midfielder 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 be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his boss to let him to return following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players 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.
