Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and instead field an orthodox back four with two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his team held on for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously stated that not even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with different setups has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would look as if he was succumbing to external pressure.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I lacked the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Today is a different juncture. We are missing a lot of players, and we must adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about changing the system constantly, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the opportunity to change.
"We will develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having only two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Role Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing input.
"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 speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
Although the specific date for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
