Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have been "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and opted to use an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his team clung on for a win - securing just their second shutout of the season.
While he once famously said that even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with different setups has consistently been part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were faring well enough - lest it would look as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"At the time I came here last season, I realized maybe I lacked the personnel to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Now is a different moment. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we must adapt, so they see why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever you discuss altering the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"We are going to become a better team because when all the personnel are back, we are not going to play with a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having only two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as while most injured players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the specific 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, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
