Boss Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to public noise would have signaled "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and instead use an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once famously said that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with different formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
Nevertheless, he clarifies he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to outside pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the squad to excel in that system, but it was the start of a project," he commented.
"We were trying to forge an style. Now is a separate moment. We lack a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you discuss changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is the downfall for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to change.
"We are going to develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to use three defenders exclusively."
Squad Issues Loom Large
With only two victories in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to say his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to return after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be heavily involved, as while most injured players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to continue offering guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
