Time is right to alter Man Utd's tactical setup - Ruben Amorim declares.
Manager Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to external pressure would have meant "his demise" for him.
In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his usual back three setup with wide defenders and instead field an traditional back four with two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final phase as his side held on for a victory - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.
Despite he once notably said that not even the Pope could compel him to change his system, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize different formations has remained part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to external noise.
"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I realized perhaps I don't have the personnel to play well in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Today is a distinct juncture. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must adapt, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.
"When you discuss changing the system repeatedly, I can't make a change because the squad will understand I'm altering things because of external voices and I feel that is the end for the manager.
"Once we are getting results in our system, that is the moment to change.
"We are going to develop into a more complete team because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."
Injury Issues Continue
Having just two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.
He is, though, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.
That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already telling me he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim expects his captain to continue offering insight.
"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 vocal. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a leader."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the precise timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of other unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
