Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have meant "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wide defenders and opted to deploy an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively functioned as a back six in the final stages as his team dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once memorably remarked that not even the Pope could force him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the option to utilize varied formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would appear as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I lacked the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to build an philosophy. Now is a different time. We lack a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they understand why we are making changes.
"This isn't because of the demands of the media, or the supporters.
"When media discuss altering the formation constantly, I can't change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.
"When we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the moment to change.
"We will develop into a stronger side because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to employ a back three exclusively."
Availability Issues Persist
With only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a depleted squad, with seven senior stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That total 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 a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to carry on offering input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."
Return Timeline for Key Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's 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.
