Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to use an traditional back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a back six in the latter stages as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with varied setups has always been part of his strategy.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"When I came here last season, I realized maybe I didn't possess the squad to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to build an identity. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they see why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you talk about altering the formation all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to change.
"We will become a stronger side because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to use three defenders all the time."
Availability Challenges Persist
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced 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 urging his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will likely still be heavily involved, as while most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
