Manager Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to use an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his team dug in for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once famously said that not even the Pope could force him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to forge an style. Now is a separate time. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need adapt, so they see why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever you discuss altering the formation constantly, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"We are going to grow into a stronger squad because when all the players are back, we are not planning to play with a back three exclusively."
Availability Crisis Continue
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering guidance.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
