Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to use an standard four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a back six in the closing phase as his side dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once famously remarked that not even the Pope could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with alternative formations has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were faring well enough - or else it would look as if he was bowing to external criticism.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to establish an identity. Currently is a separate time. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they see the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"When the press discuss changing the system all the time, I can't change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"We will grow into a better team because when all the players return, we are not intending to play with a back three in every match."
Squad Crisis Continue
With just two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the precise date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
