Manager Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to external pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to use an traditional four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the closing phase as his side clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.
Despite he once famously said that even the Pope could compel him to adjust his system, Amorim insists the capacity to play with varied setups has remained part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to external pressure.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to forge an identity. Currently is a different moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need adapt, so they see why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize changing the system all the time, I can't change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that is the right time to change.
"We will become a more complete team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not intending to use three defenders in every match."
Injury Issues Persist
With just two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Injured Players
While the specific date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
