Manager Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public noise would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wide defenders and opted to use an standard back four shielded by two holding midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his team dug in for a crucial result - securing just their second shutout of the season.
While he once notably stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with varied setups has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was succumbing to external criticism.
"At the time I came here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.
"Our aim was to forge an identity. Now is a different moment. We lack a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they understand the reason we are making changes.
"The change isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.
"When the press criticize changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, then is the right time to adapt.
"We are going to grow into a better team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to employ a back three exclusively."
Squad Crisis Persist
Having just two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been in good form.
He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple first-team stars already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to return after his muscle problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Is Unwavering
However, the 31-year-old will probably still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from the stands, 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 carry on offering guidance.
"The guy is a natural leader," he declared. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
While the specific date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.