Boss Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three formation with wing-backs and opted to use an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once memorably stated that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with different formations has remained part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I lacked the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Now is a different moment. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever 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 a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the moment to change.
"We are going to become a stronger team because when all the personnel return, we are not going to employ a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Loom Large
Having just two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to return after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering input.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
Although the precise timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
