Manager Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.
Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this at times transformed into a back six in the latter phase as his side dug in for a win - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.
While he once famously said that not even the highest authority could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with different formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would appear as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to play well in that formation, but it was the start of a project," he said.
"The goal was to establish an identity. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we must be flexible, so they see why we are making changes.
"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the faithful.
"Whenever you discuss changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"When we are playing well in our system, that is the opportunity to adapt.
"This will help us grow into a better squad because when our full complement of players are back, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Injury Issues Continue
With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been in good form.
He is, however, working with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That figure will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock 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, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to return following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Influence Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to continue offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. 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 born leader. He is a leader."
Return Timeline for Injured Players
Although the specific date for the captain's comeback - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
