Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insisted he had to establish a formation at Old Trafford before asking his squad to demonstrate tactical flexibility as succumbing to media pressure would have been "the end" for him.
Amorim departed from a back three with wing-backs for the first time in Friday's 1-0 win over Newcastle and instead fielded a conventional back four with two holding midfielders.
The Portuguese boss memorably once said not even the Pope could force him to change his system.
But Amorim, with United now just three points adrift of a Champions League place, insisted he was never as obstinate as he appeared.
"When I came here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he said ahead of Tuesday's match against relegation-threatened Wolves at Old Trafford.
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"We were trying to build an identity. Today is a different moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we need to adapt, so they understand why we are changing."
The 40-year-old former Sporting Lisbon boss added: "When you (the media) talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is the end for the manager.
"When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.
"We are going to become a better team because when all the players return, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
United only had two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle and will be without seven senior players for the match against bottom-of-the-table Wolves, still without a victory after 18 Premier League fixtures this season.
Club captain Bruno Fernandes will miss the Wolves game, despite telling his manager he wants to return to action following a hamstring injury in a December 21 defeat at Aston Villa.
"Bruno is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim.
"But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
However, the 31-year-old playmaker will still have an influence on the game.
"The guy is a leader," said Amorim. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain."