Manager Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United'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.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the final stages as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the option to play with alternative setups has remained part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I lacked the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we need be flexible, so they understand why we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of you guys, or the fans.
"When media talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"This will help us grow into a better side because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to play with a back three in every match."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having only two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, working with a depleted squad, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering insight.
"The guy 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 speaking. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the precise timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
