Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a back six in the latter stages as his team dug in for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously stated that not even the Pope could force him to change his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with different formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - or else it would seem as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Currently is a different moment. We lack a lot of players, and we have to adjust, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"When the press talk about changing the formation constantly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.
"This will help us become a better side because when all the players return, we are not intending to use a back three all the time."
Injury Crisis Continue
Having only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be heavily involved, as while most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
