Manager Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's tactical system due to external noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead deploy an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively became a back six in the final minutes as his squad clung on for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once memorably stated that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the option to play with different setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I lacked the players to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he stated.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Currently is a separate time. We don't have a lot of players, and we have to adjust, so they see the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever you criticize altering the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We will grow into a better squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not planning to play with three defenders exclusively."
Injury Crisis Persist
Having just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on offering input.
"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 constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the exact date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
