Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's tactical system due to external pressure would have been "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wide defenders and opted to use an standard back four shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately transformed into a back six in the final phase as his team dug in for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously remarked that even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - or else it would appear as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"At the time I came here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Now is a separate moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must be flexible, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize changing the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.
"We are going to become a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not planning to employ three defenders in every match."
Injury Challenges Loom Large
Having just two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the specific date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
