Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively transformed into a back six in the final stages as his team dug in for a win - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
While he once famously remarked that even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim maintains the ability to play with different setups has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would look as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"When I came here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an style. Today is a different moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever media criticize changing the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the moment to change.
"This will help us grow into a better team because when all the personnel are available, we are not going to use a back three all the time."
Availability Issues Loom Large
With just two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the upcoming home game 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.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"He has flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
