Boss Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have been "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to field an orthodox four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad held on for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once famously said that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the option to play with different setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he commented.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Today is a different moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the faithful.
"When you talk about altering the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will grow into a more complete squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to use a back three exclusively."
Injury Issues Loom Large
Having just two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a depleted roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely still be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the exact date for the captain's return - and that of fellow injured players 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 international duty.