Manager Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have been "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an standard back four shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once memorably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to change his system, Amorim asserts the option to experiment with different setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an style. Today is a distinct moment. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the influence of the media, or the fans.
"When you criticize changing the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the moment to change.
"We will grow into a more complete team because when all the players are available, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."
Injury Challenges Continue
Having just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, however, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Influence Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the specific date for the captain's return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
