Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to external 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 use an orthodox four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times functioned as a back six in the final stages as his side clung on for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once famously stated that even the highest authority could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with alternative formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the commencement of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to build an identity. Now is a different time. We lack a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they understand why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"When the press discuss changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, then is the opportunity to change.
"We will grow into a more complete squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Squad Crisis Persist
With only two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
