Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead use an orthodox back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his side dug in for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that not even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the option to experiment with different setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Today is a different juncture. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.
"When the press discuss altering the formation constantly, I can't make a change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We will develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not going to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Issues Loom Large
With just two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to return following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be a prominent presence, as while most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering input.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
Although the precise date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable players 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 international duty.
