Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public noise would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to field an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once memorably stated that not even the highest authority could compel him to change his approach, Amorim insists the ability to utilize alternative setups has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would appear as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"When I came here last season, I realized perhaps I don't have the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"The goal was to build an philosophy. Currently is a distinct moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever media discuss changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, then is the moment to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a stronger side because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not intending to use a back three in every match."
Squad Issues Continue
Having only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the specific date for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
