Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to media scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to deploy an orthodox back four with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once notably stated that not even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim insists the ability to utilize alternative formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"When I came here last season, I understood perhaps I lacked the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the start of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Now is a different time. We are missing a full complement of players, and we have to adjust, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize changing the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We are going to become a better squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to use a back three all the time."
Squad Challenges Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to return after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the specific date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
