Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's formation due to public noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to field an standard back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times transformed into a back six in the closing phase as his team held on for a victory - securing only their second shutout of the season.
While he once notably stated that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize varied formations has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only implement the change when his team were performing well enough - or else it would seem as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Now is a distinct juncture. We are missing a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they see the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"When media discuss altering the formation constantly, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to change.
"We will become a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not intending to use a back three all the time."
Availability Issues Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper 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 return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, 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 anticipates his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the specific date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
