Boss Ruben Amorim says that switching Man Utd's tactical system due to external noise would have been "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to field an standard four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively became a back six in the final stages as his team clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once notably remarked that even the Pope could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to play with varied formations has always been part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing well enough - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside noise.
"When I came here last season, I understood perhaps I don't have the personnel to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"Our aim was to build an philosophy. Today is a separate juncture. We lack a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they understand why we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize altering the system repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the opportunity to adapt.
"We are going to become a more complete side because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to play with a back three in every match."
Injury Issues Persist
Having only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the Portuguese star will probably still be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue providing input.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
