Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead deploy an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his side clung on for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably remarked that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize different setups has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Currently is a different moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they see why we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"When media discuss changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a more complete team because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not intending to play with a back three in every match."
Injury Challenges Loom Large
Having just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will likely still be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
