Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three formation with wide defenders and opted to deploy an standard back four with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his team clung on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably said that not even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the option to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I lacked the players to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"Our aim was to forge an style. Today is a different moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they see why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the fans.
"Whenever media talk about changing the formation all the time, I can't change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the opportunity to adapt.
"We are going to grow into a more complete team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Injury Issues Persist
Having only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to return following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most injured stars view matches from a private box, 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 is sure his captain to continue offering input.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Players
Although the specific date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
