Boss Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have meant "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to deploy an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a back six in the final stages as his side held on for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably said that even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with alternative formations has always been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were faring at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an identity. Today is a distinct time. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we must adapt, so they see the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever media criticize changing the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the right time to adapt.
"We will become a more complete team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not planning to employ a back three in every match."
Squad Issues Persist
With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a depleted roster, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to carry on offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
