Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his customary back three formation with wide defenders and chose to field an orthodox back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his side clung on for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously said that even the highest authority could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with alternative formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he clarifies he could solely make the switch when his team were performing well enough - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a journey," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Now is a distinct juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever you criticize changing the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the right time to change.
"This will help us grow into a more complete team because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Issues Continue
Having just two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven senior players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - 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 practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
