Boss Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to use an orthodox back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this at times became a six-man defensive block in the closing stages as his squad held on for a win - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once famously said that not even the Pope could force him to tweak his system, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize different formations has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he stresses he could only make the switch when his team were performing sufficiently well - otherwise it would look as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.
"Our aim was to establish an identity. Now is a different juncture. We are missing a lot of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about changing the system repeatedly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.
"Only when we are playing well in our system, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will become a better squad because when all the players are back, we are not going to employ a back three exclusively."
Availability Challenges Persist
Having only two victories in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been in good form.
He is, however, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already confirmed absent for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering insight.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the captain.
"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
