Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to use an standard four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately transformed into a back six in the closing stages as his side held on for a crucial result - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could force him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to play with alternative formations has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would look as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a journey," he stated.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Now is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we must adjust, so they see why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"When the press criticize altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We will become a stronger team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to use a back three all the time."
Injury Challenges Continue
With just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Role Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on offering guidance.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That's why he's the captain.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
