Head coach Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his customary back three setup with wide defenders and chose to field an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter minutes as his squad held on for a win - securing only their second shutout of the season.
Although he once notably stated that not even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with alternative formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Now is a separate moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need adapt, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the formation all the time, I can't make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is the end for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger team because when all the players are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
Having just two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has flaws at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
