Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's formation due to external pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to use an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad held on for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with alternative setups has consistently been part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were doing well enough - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the start of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Today is a separate time. We don't have a full complement of players, and we need be flexible, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the fans.
"When the press talk about changing the formation all the time, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that becomes the opportunity to evolve.
"We will become a more complete side because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Issues Persist
Having just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a depleted roster, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Role Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Players
While the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
