Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to external pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and instead deploy an orthodox back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his side dug in for a win - securing only their second shutout of the campaign.
Although he once famously said that even the Pope could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with varied formations has always been part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the players to excel in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.
"Our aim was to forge an philosophy. Today is a separate juncture. We don't have a full complement of players, and we have to adapt, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever media talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is the end for the coach.
"Once we are playing well in our system, that becomes the moment to evolve.
"We will develop into a better team because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not going to use three defenders in every match."
Availability Issues Persist
Having only two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, however, operating with a depleted roster, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.
"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
The Captain's Influence Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be deeply engaged, as while most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing input.
"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has flaws sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Players
While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
