Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to deploy an orthodox back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a back six in the closing stages as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously remarked that not even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize varied setups has remained part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized maybe I lacked the personnel to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he stated.
"We were trying to build an philosophy. Now is a different time. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"When the press discuss altering the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are getting results in our system, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us grow into a stronger team because when all the players are available, we are not planning to play with a back three all the time."
Availability Crisis Persist
With only two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his side have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to allow him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Influence Remains
However, the Portuguese star will probably still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing insight.
"He is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Key Personnel
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable 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 duty.
