Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and opted to use an traditional four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his side held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once notably remarked that not even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim insists the option to play with varied formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were faring at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an style. Today is a separate time. 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 demands of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you criticize altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will become a more complete team because when all the players are available, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Squad Challenges Persist
Having just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder 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 be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to return after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the precise date for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured players 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.
