Boss Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have been "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a back six in the final stages as his squad clung on for a win - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once memorably stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to change his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with different setups has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were faring well enough - or else it would appear as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I don't have the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Currently is a different moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize altering the system constantly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the right time to evolve.
"We will develop into a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."
Squad Issues Loom Large
Having just two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to return after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as while most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing input.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
Although the specific date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars 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.
