Time is ripe to alter Man Utd's formation - Ruben Amorim insists.
Manager Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have been "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three formation with wide defenders and chose to deploy an orthodox back four with two central midfielders.
By his own admission this effectively became a back six in the closing minutes as his squad dug in for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously stated that not even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with different setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.
However, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to outside pressure.
"When I came here last season, I realized perhaps I lacked the squad to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.
"Our aim was to establish an style. Now is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of players, and we have to adapt, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.
"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the fans.
"When you criticize altering the formation repeatedly, I can't change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the right time to adapt.
"We are going to grow into a more complete side because when our full complement of players are back, we are not going to employ three defenders exclusively."
Squad Crisis Continue
With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been in good form.
He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.
That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to return following his hamstring injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as while most injured players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing guidance.
"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 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 good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.
"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the specific date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.