Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wing-backs and opted to deploy an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a back six in the latter stages as his side clung on for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably stated that even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to utilize alternative formations has always been part of his long-term vision.
However, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.
"We were trying to build an style. Currently is a different time. We lack a lot of players, and we have to be flexible, so they see the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever media talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.
"This will help us become a more complete squad because when all the players are back, we are not planning to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Issues Loom Large
Having only two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Role Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing insight.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable stars 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 continental competition.
