Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public pressure would have been "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wing-backs and chose to use an orthodox back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a back six in the closing phase as his side clung on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously stated that even the highest authority could force him to adjust his system, Amorim insists the option to play with alternative formations has remained part of his strategy.
However, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the squad to excel in that system, but it was the start of a journey," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Now is a separate moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they see why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"When you criticize altering the system repeatedly, I can't make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is the end for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to change.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when all the players are available, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."
Availability Crisis Continue
Having only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to return following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Remains
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering insight.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
