Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to external pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three setup with wing-backs and instead use an standard four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this effectively transformed into a back six in the final phase as his squad held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the season.
Despite he once notably said that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with different formations has always been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the squad to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Today is a different juncture. We lack a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press discuss altering the formation constantly, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to evolve.
"We will develop into a better squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Issues Loom Large
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be urging his boss to let him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
