Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have meant "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and instead deploy an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the final minutes as his side held on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably said that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the squad to excel in that system, but it was the start of a process," he said.
"Our aim was to build an style. Now is a separate time. We lack a full complement of players, and we need adapt, so they see why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press talk about changing the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to evolve.
"We will grow into a more complete squad because when all the players are back, we are not planning to use a back three exclusively."
Injury Crisis Loom Large
Having just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name 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 following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Role Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"There are bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
