Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have been "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to deploy an traditional back four with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
Despite he once memorably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim insists the option to experiment with different setups has consistently been part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were faring sufficiently well - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to external criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he said.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Today is a separate time. We lack a full complement of players, and we must adapt, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you criticize changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to change.
"We are going to develop into a stronger team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to use three defenders all the time."
Injury Crisis Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior players already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players 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 continental competition.
