Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to external pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and opted to deploy an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a back six in the latter stages as his squad clung on for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once famously remarked that even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with different setups has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I don't have the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"The goal was to build an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adapt, so they see why we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever you discuss altering the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"We will grow into a better squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not going to play with a back three exclusively."
Availability Issues Loom Large
Having just two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Role Endures
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Players
While the precise date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
