Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to external pressure would have signaled "the finish" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary back three setup with wide defenders and chose to field an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a back six in the latter minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
Although he once famously remarked that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to utilize alternative setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were faring at an acceptable level - lest it would appear as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the personnel to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Currently is a different juncture. We don't have a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press criticize changing the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, then is the moment to adapt.
"We are going to develop into a stronger team because when all the personnel return, we are not intending to employ a back three all the time."
Squad Crisis Persist
With just two wins in eight games prior to defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to claim his side have been playing well.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be urging his manager to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Endures
However, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing guidance.
"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Injured Personnel
While the specific date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.
