Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have been "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual back three setup with wide defenders and chose to deploy an traditional four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his side held on for a victory - securing just their second shutout of the season.
While he once notably stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I don't have the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"The goal was to build an identity. Currently is a distinct time. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we must adjust, so they see why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the supporters.
"When you discuss altering the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a stronger team because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not intending to play with a back three in every match."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as while most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering input.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
