Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to deploy an standard four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his team held on for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once memorably stated that not even the Pope could compel him to change his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with varied formations has remained part of his strategy.
However, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were faring at an acceptable level - or else it would seem as if he was giving in to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to build an identity. Currently is a different juncture. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they see why we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever you discuss changing the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us become a more complete team because when all the players are available, we are not intending to use a back three in every match."
Injury Challenges Persist
With only two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be urging his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the specific date 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, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
