Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three formation with wing-backs and opted to use an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his team held on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once famously said that not even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with varied setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I don't have the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we must adapt, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever you discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our system, that is the right time to change.
"We will become a more complete team because when all the players return, we are not going to use a back three all the time."
Squad Issues Loom Large
Having just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
The Captain's Role Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the exact date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
