Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to media pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to field an traditional back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably remarked that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the option to utilize varied formations has remained part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - lest it would look as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I didn't possess the players to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Today is a distinct moment. We don't have a full complement of players, and we must be flexible, so they understand why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of the media, or the faithful.
"When the press talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"We will grow into a better squad because when all the players are back, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Crisis Continue
Having only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a depleted squad, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
