Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary back three setup with wide defenders and instead deploy an orthodox four-man defense with two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a back six in the final stages as his squad held on for a crucial result - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Although he once famously said that even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim maintains the ability to utilize varied setups has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were faring at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the personnel to excel in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an identity. Now is a different time. We don't have a lot of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"When the press discuss altering the formation all the time, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"We will grow into a more complete side because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders in every match."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
Having just two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing input.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects 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 Key Players
While the exact date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
