The moment is right to switch Man Utd's system - the manager states.

Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to media scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.

In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to use an standard back four with two holding midfielders.

Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his team dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign.

While he once memorably remarked that not even the highest authority could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.

However, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was bowing to external criticism.

"When I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I lacked the squad to excel in that system, but it was the start of a project," he commented.

"The goal was to forge an identity. Today is a different juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they see the reason we are changing.

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

"When the press criticize altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.

"Once we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to adapt.

"We will develop into a stronger team because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not going to use three defenders exclusively."

Squad Challenges Loom Large

Having only two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been in good form.

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

That total will grow if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to return after his hamstring problem.

"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can write that."

Fernandes' Leadership Remains

However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing input.

"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects you don't see.

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

Return Schedule for Key Players

While the exact timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.