Now is ripe to change Man Utd's formation - Amorim states.

Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have meant "the finish" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and chose to field an standard back four with two central midfielders.

By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a back six in the latter minutes as his side held on for a victory - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.

Although he once famously said that not even the Pope could pressure him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the option to play with alternative formations has remained part of his long-term vision.

However, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were faring sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was giving in to external noise.

"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I don't have the squad to perform effectively in that system, but it was the beginning of a project," he said.

"The goal was to establish an style. Today is a different time. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we must adapt, so they understand why we are switching things up.

"It is not because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.

"When media talk about altering the system constantly, I can't change because the players will think I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.

"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the right time to adapt.

"This will help us become a better squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not planning to play with three defenders exclusively."

Squad Crisis Loom Large

With just two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his side have been playing well.

He is, nonetheless, working with a severely stretched roster, with multiple senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.

"Bruno is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."

Fernandes' Role Remains

Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably still be deeply engaged, as while most injured players 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 anticipates his leader to carry on offering guidance.

"He is a leader," he stated. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the skipper.

"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many aspects you don't see.

"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a leader."

Return Schedule for Injured Personnel

Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.