Manager Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual back three formation with wide defenders and instead field an standard four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his team held on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once famously remarked that even the highest authority could pressure him to change his system, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing well enough - lest it would look as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Now is a separate juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we must adapt, so they see why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.
"When you discuss changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our system, then is the opportunity to change.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not intending to use a back three all the time."
Injury Challenges Persist
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue offering guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
