Manager Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to use an standard four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his squad dug in for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably said that even the Pope could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.
"When media talk about altering the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our system, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will grow into a better team because when all the players are available, we are not intending to play with three defenders exclusively."
Availability Crisis Continue
Having only two victories in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will increase 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 a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to return following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
While the exact date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
