Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to media noise would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to use an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively became a six-man defensive block in the closing phase as his side held on for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
While he once memorably stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with different formations has always been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing well enough - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the players to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he said.
"Our aim was to build an style. Now is a separate juncture. We lack a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to change.
"This will help us grow into a stronger side because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having just two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to return following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing guidance.
"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 speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
Although the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - 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 international duty.
