Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to external pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and instead deploy an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively functioned as a back six in the final phase as his squad held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
While he once famously stated that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the option to play with alternative setups has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would appear as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"At the time I came here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Now is a distinct juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they understand why we are changing.
"It is not because of the demands of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever the press discuss changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, then is the right time to change.
"We will develop into a stronger team because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Issues Loom Large
Having only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to allow him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing insight.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the exact date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
