Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to media noise would have been "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to deploy an orthodox four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once famously remarked that not even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to play with different setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"We were trying to build an identity. Currently is a separate time. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"When the press criticize altering the system all the time, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to adapt.
"We are going to become a more complete squad because when all the players return, we are not intending to employ a back three exclusively."
Squad Challenges Continue
With only two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior players already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to return following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Endures
However, the 31-year-old will likely still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
