Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to use an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once memorably said that not even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize different formations has consistently been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they see why we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"When you talk about altering the formation all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, then is the opportunity to change.
"We are going to grow into a stronger squad because when all the players are back, we are not going to play with three defenders exclusively."
Squad Issues Persist
Having only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a depleted roster, with seven senior players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Influence Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on offering insight.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the precise timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
