Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and opted to deploy an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively became a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his side dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably said that not even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the option to play with different setups has remained part of his plan.
However, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing at an acceptable level - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to external noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to play well in a back three, but it was the start of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an style. Today is a distinct juncture. We lack a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they see why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever you talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to use three defenders in every match."
Injury Issues Continue
With just two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a depleted roster, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
