Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have been "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to use an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his team clung on for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once memorably stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with alternative formations has always been part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the players to excel in a back three, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an identity. Currently is a different moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the supporters.
"When the press talk about altering the formation constantly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We will develop into a better team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Challenges Continue
Having only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a depleted squad, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his boss to allow him to return after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing input.
"He 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 speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys 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 leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Players
While the exact date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
