Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively functioned as a back six in the latter phase as his squad dug in for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably said that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with different formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I don't have the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to build an identity. Today is a separate moment. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever media talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to evolve.
"We are going to develop into a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not planning to use a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Continue
With just two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to let him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Remains
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Players
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
