Boss Ruben Amorim argues that altering Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively functioned as a back six in the final phase as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once notably said that not even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim insists the ability to play with alternative formations has remained part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring at an acceptable level - lest it would seem as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the players to play well in a back three, but it was the start of a process," he said.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Currently is a different juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we have to adapt, so they see the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you discuss altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"We will become a better team because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not going to play with three defenders exclusively."
Availability Challenges Continue
Having only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Influence Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable players 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 anticipates his captain to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads 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 born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the precise date for the captain's return - 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 continental duty.
