Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to field an orthodox four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a six-man defensive block in the closing phase as his squad held on for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably said that not even the highest authority could compel him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were faring well enough - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"We were trying to build an style. Currently is a separate moment. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the fans.
"When the press discuss altering the system all the time, I can't make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to change.
"We are going to become a more complete side because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Persist
Having only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced 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 boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars watch 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 natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. There are a many things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Players
Although the specific date for Fernandes' 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 continental duty.