Time is ripe to change Man Utd's tactical setup - the manager states.

Manager Ruben Amorim argues that switching Man Utd's formation due to public noise would have meant "the finish" for him.

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

He himself conceded this effectively became a back six in the final stages as his team dug in for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.

Despite he once famously remarked that even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim insists the option to play with alternative setups has consistently been part of his plan.

Nevertheless, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was bowing to outside pressure.

"When I arrived here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the squad to excel in that formation, but it was the commencement of a project," he commented.

"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Now is a different time. We lack a lot of personnel, and we have to adapt, so they see the reason we are switching things up.

"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the supporters.

"When you talk about changing the formation all the time, I can't change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.

"Once we are getting results in our system, that is the right time to evolve.

"This will help us grow into a better team because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders exclusively."

Injury Issues Persist

With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been playing well.

He is, however, operating with a depleted squad, with seven first-team players already confirmed absent for the upcoming home game against winless Wolves.

That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pressing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.

"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."

The Captain's Role Is Unwavering

However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim is sure his leader to continue offering insight.

"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.

"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of positive qualities. 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 job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."

Recovery Schedule for Key Players

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