Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to deploy an orthodox four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times became a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his team clung on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once notably remarked that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to play with alternative formations has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an identity. Today is a separate juncture. We lack a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever the press talk about altering the formation all the time, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We are going to grow into a better team because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
Having only two victories in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Endures
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"He has flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
Although the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
