Boss Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to media pressure would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead use an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad dug in for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the option to utilize different formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were faring well enough - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to play well in a back three, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Now is a distinct moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they understand why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.
"When media criticize altering the system constantly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a better side because when our full complement of players return, we are not planning to use a back three in every match."
Squad Issues Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a depleted squad, with seven first-team players already ruled out for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that forced 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 reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
