Manager Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to public pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to deploy an standard four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a six-man defensive block in the closing stages as his team dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once memorably said that not even the highest authority could compel him to adjust his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with different setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the players to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"The goal was to forge an identity. Today is a different juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever media talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We will develop into a stronger squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not going to play with a back three exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
With only two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch 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 born leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
