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

Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to public pressure would have been "the finish" for him.

Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual back three formation with wing-backs and opted to field an orthodox four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.

By his own admission this effectively transformed into a back six in the final phase as his team clung on for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.

Despite he once memorably said that even the highest authority could force him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the option to play with different formations has consistently been part of his strategy.

Yet, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were doing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was bowing to external noise.

"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I didn't possess the squad to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.

"The goal was to forge an identity. Now is a distinct moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we have to adjust, so they see the reason we are switching things up.

"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters.

"When you discuss changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.

"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, then is the moment to evolve.

"We will grow into a better side because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not planning to play with three defenders exclusively."

Squad Issues Persist

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

He is, however, managing with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That total will rise if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his manager to let him to return after his muscle injury.

"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."

Fernandes' Leadership Endures

However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing input.

"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.

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

Return Timeline for Key Personnel

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