The moment is right to alter Man Utd's formation - Amorim states.

Head coach Ruben Amorim says that altering Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have been "the finish" for him.

In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wide defenders and instead field an traditional back four shielded by two central midfielders.

Amorim acknowledged this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his team held on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the season.

Although he once memorably said that even the Pope could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim insists the option to utilize different setups has always been part of his plan.

Yet, he emphasizes he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to outside criticism.

"When I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I don't have the players to excel in that formation, but it was the beginning of a journey," he commented.

"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Currently is a separate time. We lack a lot of players, and we have to be flexible, so they see why we are changing.

"The change isn't because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.

"Whenever the press talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.

"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.

"We will become a more complete team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to play with three defenders in every match."

Squad Issues Continue

With only two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.

He is, though, managing with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior players already confirmed absent for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.

That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to return after his muscle problem.

"Bruno is already insisting he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."

The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering

However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim is sure his captain to continue offering insight.

"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and speaking. He's always communicating. That's why he's the skipper.

"There are flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.

"I'm not sure if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."

Recovery Schedule for Key Players

While the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.