Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to public noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to use an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a back six in the closing phase as his team held on for a crucial result - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously stated that even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to play with alternative formations has remained part of his plan.
However, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was bowing to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I lacked the personnel to play well in a back three, but it was the start of a project," he stated.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Currently is a different time. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they understand why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.
"When you talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the right time to adapt.
"This will help us develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not intending to use a back three in every match."
Availability Challenges Persist
With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior players already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Role Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars watch 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 captain to carry on offering insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the other guys practicing. 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. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
