Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have meant "the end" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his customary back three setup with wing-backs and instead use an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively became a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side clung on for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably stated that not even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim insists the option to utilize varied formations has remained part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he stated.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Currently is a different time. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"When you talk about changing the formation constantly, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the moment to adapt.
"We are going to become a stronger side because when all the players return, we are not planning to play with a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
With just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact date for the captain's return - and that of other injured players 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 international duty.
