Boss Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media noise would have meant "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to field an standard back four with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively became a back six in the latter stages as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once memorably said that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the ability to experiment with alternative formations has remained part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he clarifies he could only implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would seem as if he was bowing to external noise.
"When I came here last season, I realized maybe I didn't possess the players to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Now is a separate time. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they comprehend why we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about changing the system all the time, I can't change because the squad will think I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are back, we are not planning to use three defenders in every match."
Squad Crisis Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock 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 match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Remains
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
