Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an standard four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times became a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad clung on for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with varied setups has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he clarifies he could solely make the switch when his team were performing well enough - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Today is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they comprehend why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"When the press criticize changing the system all the time, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the moment to evolve.
"We are going to become a more complete squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Squad Crisis Continue
With just two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be urging his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on 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's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
