Boss Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and instead use an standard four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once notably said that even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were performing well enough - or else it would appear as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the players to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Now is a separate juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they see why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We will become a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to play with a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
With just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as while 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 expects his captain to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the precise timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
