Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary back three setup with wide defenders and opted to use an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his team clung on for a win - securing just their second shutout of the season.
Although he once notably stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the option to play with varied setups has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were faring at an acceptable level - otherwise it would appear as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I don't have the personnel to play well in a back three, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Today is a distinct time. We are missing a lot of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever the press talk about altering the system constantly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We are going to grow into a better squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not going to employ three defenders all the time."
Availability Crisis Persist
With just two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Endures
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue 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 bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
