Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to media noise would have been "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his side dug in for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably said that even the highest authority could compel him to change his system, Amorim insists the ability to utilize different formations has remained part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the personnel to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to build an identity. Today is a distinct time. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the formation all the time, I can't change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to evolve.
"We will grow into a better team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven senior players already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable 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 international competition.
