Boss Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to public noise would have been "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an standard back four shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his team clung on for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably said that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with alternative formations has always been part of his strategy.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to external noise.
"When I came here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Now is a different time. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm altering things 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 grow into a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not going to employ three defenders in every match."
Squad Challenges Loom Large
With only two victories in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will likely still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering guidance.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
While the precise timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
