The moment is right to change Man Utd's system - Amorim declares.

Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's formation due to public pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and chose to field an traditional four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.

By his own admission this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his squad held on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.

While he once memorably stated that even the Pope could force him to adjust his system, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his long-term vision.

Yet, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing at an acceptable level - or else it would seem as if he was bowing to external pressure.

"At the time I came here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the squad to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he commented.

"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Currently is a separate time. We are missing a lot of players, and we need adapt, so they understand why we are making changes.

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

"Whenever the press discuss changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.

"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the moment to evolve.

"We are going to become a stronger team because when all the personnel are available, we are not planning to play with a back three all the time."

Squad Challenges Continue

With just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been playing well.

He is, though, working with a severely stretched roster, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That number will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.

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

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

The Captain's Influence Remains

Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim expects his leader to continue offering guidance.

"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the captain.

"He has bad things at times - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.

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

Return Timeline for Injured Players

Although the specific date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is uncertain, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.