Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to public noise would have signaled "the end" for him.
In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three setup with wide defenders and opted to use an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his squad held on for a win - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once notably stated that not even the Pope could force him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to play with alternative setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would look as if he was bowing to outside criticism.
"At the time I came here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the start of a journey," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Currently is a different time. We don't have a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they see why we are changing.
"It is not because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"When you criticize altering the formation all the time, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our system, then is the moment to evolve.
"We will develop into a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not going to employ three defenders in every match."
Injury Crisis Continue
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been in good form.
He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering insight.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable 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.
