Head coach Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary back three setup with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter stages as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably remarked that not even the highest authority could compel him to change his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with different formations has remained part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to external noise.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that system, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an identity. Now is a distinct juncture. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"When you criticize changing the formation all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, then is the right time to evolve.
"We will develop into a stronger squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to employ a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Continue
Having only two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
