Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and chose to field an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his squad dug in for a win - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
Although he once famously remarked that not even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with different setups has always been part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.
"When I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I lacked the personnel to play well in a back three, but it was the beginning of a process," he said.
"The goal was to establish an style. Currently is a distinct time. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we must adapt, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.
"When media discuss altering the formation all the time, I can't make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our system, that is the right time to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having just two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a depleted roster, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to return after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing input.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has flaws at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
