Head coach Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to media noise would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to deploy an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad clung on for a victory - securing just their second shutout of the season.
While he once memorably said that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to utilize varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to outside noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I didn't possess the players to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Today is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we must adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the supporters.
"When media talk about changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to change.
"This will help us develop into a stronger side because when all the personnel return, we are not planning to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
Having only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
While the exact date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
