Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's tactical system due to external noise would have been "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead deploy an standard back four with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a back six in the latter stages as his side held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously said that not even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with alternative formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I don't have the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an style. Now is a separate moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to evolve.
"We will develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to use a back three all the time."
Squad Issues Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be deeply engaged, as while most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on offering insight.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things 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."
Recovery Timeline for Injured 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 - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
