Boss Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's formation due to media pressure would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to field an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a back six in the final stages as his team clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.
Although he once notably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize varied setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to external noise.
"At the time I came here last season, I realized maybe I don't have the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Currently is a separate juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the supporters.
"When the press discuss altering the formation all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that is the opportunity to change.
"We are going to become a better team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to use a back three all the time."
Injury Challenges Loom Large
Having only two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to return following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed 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 probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the exact date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
