Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public pressure would have signaled "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three setup with wide defenders and instead use an traditional four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his team dug in for a win - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
While he once memorably stated that even the Pope could pressure him to change his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with varied formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I came here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the players to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"When you discuss altering the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to change.
"We will become a more complete team because when all the players are available, we are not planning to use a back three in every match."
Availability Crisis Continue
With just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable 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 understood to be pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
