Manager Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's formation due to external scrutiny would have meant "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to deploy an traditional four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Despite he once famously stated that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the ability to experiment with alternative formations has remained part of his strategy.
However, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"We were trying to establish an philosophy. Now is a distinct juncture. We are missing a lot of players, and we have to adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.
"When media discuss changing the formation all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We are going to become a better team because when all the players are back, we are not planning to employ three defenders in every match."
Injury Challenges Loom Large
Having only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.
He is, however, operating with a depleted squad, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Influence Is Unwavering
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
Although the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
