Manager Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's formation due to public noise would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and chose to field an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously said that even the highest authority could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the option to experiment with alternative formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were faring sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to build an style. Now is a different time. We lack a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever media talk about changing the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, then is the right time to evolve.
"We will develop into a better team because when all the personnel return, we are not planning to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Challenges Continue
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Influence Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on offering guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
