Manager Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary back three setup with wide defenders and instead deploy an traditional four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately functioned as a back six in the latter minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
While he once memorably stated that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with different formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
However, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the players to play well in a back three, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Now is a distinct moment. We lack a lot of players, and we must adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"When the press discuss altering the formation all the time, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will develop into a more complete squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to use three defenders exclusively."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
With just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the precise timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable stars 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.
