Manager Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's formation due to public noise would have been "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox back four with two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his side clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.
Although he once memorably stated that even the Pope could compel him to change his system, Amorim maintains the option to play with different formations has remained part of his long-term vision.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were faring sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"At the time I came here last season, I recognized maybe I lacked the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he commented.
"The goal was to forge an identity. Today is a separate moment. We lack a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the supporters.
"When you criticize altering the system all the time, I can't change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us grow into a stronger side because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to use three defenders all the time."
Injury Issues Persist
Having only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to return following his muscle problem.
"Bruno is already saying he has to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his leader to continue offering insight.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my job or not, but he's a born leader. He is a leader."
Recovery Timeline for Key Players
While the specific timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
