Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to external noise would have meant "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and instead deploy an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively functioned as a back six in the closing stages as his team clung on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with different formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I don't have the players to play well in a back three, but it was the beginning of a journey," he stated.
"The goal was to build an identity. Today is a distinct time. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the formation all the time, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I think that is the end for the coach.
"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to change.
"We are going to develop into a better team because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not intending to employ three defenders exclusively."
Availability Issues Continue
With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Remains
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured players 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 international competition.
