The moment is ripe to switch Manchester United's tactical setup - Amorim insists.

Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Man Utd's formation due to public scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.

Initially against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to use an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.

Amorim acknowledged this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the closing minutes as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.

While he once memorably said that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the option to utilize alternative setups has always been part of his long-term vision.

Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing at an acceptable level - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to external criticism.

"At the time I came here last season, I realized perhaps I lacked the personnel to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he stated.

"The goal was to establish an identity. Today is a separate juncture. We don't have a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.

"This isn't because of the influence of you guys, or the faithful.

"Whenever media criticize changing the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of external voices and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.

"When we are playing well in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.

"This will help us grow into a stronger squad because when all the personnel are back, we are not going to employ a back three exclusively."

Injury Issues Persist

Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.

He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his muscle problem.

"Bruno is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."

Fernandes' Leadership Is Unwavering

Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering insight.

"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That's why he's the captain.

"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.

"I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."

Return Schedule for Injured Players

Although the exact date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.