Head coach Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to external noise would have been "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead use an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the final minutes as his squad dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with alternative setups has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - lest it would look as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I didn't possess the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"The goal was to forge an philosophy. Today is a different moment. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever the press criticize altering the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to change.
"We will become a better side because when all the personnel are available, we are not going to use three defenders in every match."
Squad Issues Loom Large
Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing input.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
