Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his customary three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead use an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter phase as his team clung on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once famously said that even the Pope could force him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with alternative setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I came here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the squad to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Now is a separate moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we have to adapt, so they see why we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the influence of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever media criticize changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the moment to change.
"This will help us develop into a better team because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to employ a back three in every match."
Injury Challenges Persist
With just two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Endures
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing input.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the specific date for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
