Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual back three formation with wide defenders and chose to field an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a back six in the closing minutes as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably said that even the Pope could force him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the option to play with alternative setups has remained part of his long-term vision.
However, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"When I arrived here last season, I understood perhaps I lacked the players to excel in a back three, but it was the beginning of a journey," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Now is a different time. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they see why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize changing the system repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that becomes the opportunity to change.
"This will help us grow into a more complete team because when our full complement of players return, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."
Squad Issues Loom Large
With just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a depleted roster, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue offering insight.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. 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 positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the specific date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
