Manager Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have signaled "the finish" for him.
Initially against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to use an traditional back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a back six in the latter phase as his squad clung on for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once notably stated that even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the ability to experiment with varied setups has remained part of his plan.
However, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"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 commented.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Currently is a distinct moment. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they comprehend why we are changing.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"When media talk about changing the formation all the time, I can't change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that is the opportunity to change.
"We are going to become a better squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not going to use three defenders all the time."
Injury Issues Continue
Having only two victories in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven first-team players already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
