Now is right to alter Man Utd's tactical setup - Amorim insists.

Head coach Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to media noise would have been "the end" for him.

Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to field an traditional four-man defense shielded by two defensive midfielders.

Amorim acknowledged this at times became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his squad held on for a win - securing just their second shutout of the season.

Despite he once notably stated that not even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his approach, Amorim insists the option to experiment with different formations has remained part of his plan.

Yet, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was giving in to external criticism.

"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to play well in that formation, but it was the start of a process," he said.

"Our aim was to establish an identity. Currently is a different juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.

"The change isn't because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.

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

"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.

"This will help us grow into a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are back, we are not going to use a back three exclusively."

Injury Issues Persist

With just two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.

He is, however, working with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolves.

That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to return following his hamstring problem.

"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."

Fernandes' Leadership Endures

However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his leader to continue providing input.

"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.

"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.

"I'm not sure if he wants my job or not, but he's a born leader. The guy is a true captain."

Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel

While the precise timeline for the captain's return - and that of fellow injured stars 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 duty.