Boss Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to external pressure would have been "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and instead deploy an orthodox back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his side dug in for a win - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once notably remarked that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize different setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Currently is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of players, and we must adapt, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of journalists, or the faithful.
"Whenever you criticize altering the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"This will help us become a stronger squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to use a back three exclusively."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
With only two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking 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. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
