Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and opted to use an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once notably remarked that not even the Pope could compel him to change his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I lacked the players to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an style. Currently is a different time. We are missing a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the formation all the time, I can't change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the right time to evolve.
"This will help us grow into a more complete squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Injury Crisis Continue
With just two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on offering insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
