Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead use an traditional four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the closing phase as his squad clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once famously remarked that not even the Pope could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to play with different setups has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I lacked the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Today is a different juncture. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they comprehend why we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the fans.
"When you discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"We are going to become a stronger side because when all the personnel are back, we are not going to use a back three in every match."
Availability Crisis Continue
With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game 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.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to let him to return following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing insight.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys 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 leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the specific date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
