Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to external noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and instead use an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a back six in the latter stages as his side dug in for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously stated that even the Pope could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize alternative formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he stated.
"Our aim was to build an identity. Today is a distinct juncture. We don't have a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize altering the formation constantly, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is the end for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to employ three defenders exclusively."
Squad Challenges Continue
With just two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to allow him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most injured players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
