The moment is ripe to switch Manchester United's system - Amorim insists.

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

For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary back three formation with wide defenders and instead deploy an orthodox back four shielded by two holding midfielders.

He himself conceded this at times functioned as a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his team clung on for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.

While he once notably said that not even the highest authority could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with different formations has always been part of his strategy.

Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was bowing to outside criticism.

"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I don't have the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a process," he said.

"Our aim was to establish an philosophy. Today is a distinct juncture. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they understand why we are switching things up.

"It is not because of the demands of the media, or the faithful.

"Whenever the press talk about altering the system all the time, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the manager.

"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, then is the opportunity to adapt.

"We are going to become a better team because when all the players are back, we are not going to employ three defenders in every match."

Injury Issues Persist

Having only two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been playing well.

He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against winless Wolves.

That total will rise if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.

"Bruno is already telling me he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."

Fernandes' Leadership Endures

Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering guidance.

"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. 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 lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.

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

Recovery Timeline for Injured Players

While the precise timeline for Fernandes' comeback - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.