Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead field an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his squad clung on for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously stated that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with varied setups has remained part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were performing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"The goal was to build an philosophy. Today is a different moment. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever you discuss altering the system all the time, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the right time to adapt.
"We are going to develop into a more complete squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not going to play with three defenders exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a depleted roster, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
While the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
