Manager Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have been "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to use an standard four-man defense with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively functioned as a back six in the final minutes as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably said that not even the highest authority could pressure him to change his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize different setups has always been part of his strategy.
Yet, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I don't have the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an style. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a lot of players, and we have to be flexible, so they see why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever media criticize changing the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is the end for the manager.
"When we are getting results in our system, that is the right time to change.
"This will help us grow into a better side because when all the players return, we are not intending to employ a back three exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
With only two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Remains
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
Although the exact date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
