Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and opted to use an standard four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his team held on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could pressure him to change his system, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with different setups has always been part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to external criticism.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I lacked the players to play well in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to build an identity. Today is a distinct juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize changing the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our system, then is the moment to change.
"This will help us become a stronger team because when all the players are back, we are not planning to employ three defenders in every match."
Squad Crisis Continue
Having only two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue providing guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. 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. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
Although the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
