Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to external noise would have meant "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to field an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad held on for a crucial result - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously said that not even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim insists the option to utilize different formations has always been part of his plan.
However, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to external noise.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to build an style. Today is a separate moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about altering the system all the time, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"This will help us develop into a better squad because when all the players return, we are not going to use a back three all the time."
Squad Crisis Persist
With only two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to 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 pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably still be deeply engaged, as while most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
