Boss Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public noise would have been "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and chose to field an standard four-man defense with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his team held on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously said that not even the Pope could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize alternative formations has always been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing well enough - or else it would appear as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"At the time I came here last season, I realized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he said.
"We were trying to establish an style. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adapt, so they understand why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.
"When media talk about altering the system all the time, I can't make a change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, then is the moment to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not planning to use a back three all the time."
Injury Challenges Persist
Having just two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to return after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Remains
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the precise date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
