Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to media noise would have been "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual back three setup with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the latter phase as his squad held on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Although he once memorably remarked that not even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim asserts the option to utilize different formations has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an style. Today is a distinct moment. We lack a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they see the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever media criticize altering the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.
"We will grow into a better team because when our full complement of players are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders all the time."
Availability Issues Loom Large
Having only two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"There are bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Injured Players
Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
