Manager Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and opted to field an orthodox back four with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his squad clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once famously said that not even the Pope could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the option to experiment with different formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"At the time I came here last season, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a journey," he commented.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Currently is a different moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must be flexible, so they see the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.
"When media talk about changing the system constantly, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"This will help us become a more complete team because when all the personnel are back, we are not planning to employ a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Continue
With only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That figure will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to allow him to return following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be a prominent presence, as while most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
Although the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
