Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag stubbornly claimed his defensive selections were correct for Sunday's loss to Manchester City.
The Dutchman, who is seeing the spotlight around him increase with each defeat, left Raphael Varane on the bench in the Premier League.
The French centre half, and left-back Sergio Reguilon were both left out of the team.
Instead, Jonny Evans partnered Harry Maguire, while Victor Lindelof was a makeshift left-back.
"They played very well, I think, the centre," Ten Hag insisted to reporters.
"With (Andre) Onana they played a very good game. Just what I expected.
"You know they will come pressures and no one can actually be surprised. I said it from the beginning, I need the players on the left side who can make angles and also to step in and, especially against City, with the side they press us you have to step in to get the press on them and I think they did this very well."
On the tactics, he added: "I said it from the start that I was here and I just explained it to the question of Samuel (Luckhurst), so I have to explain again? Sorry, I said why.
"When you face City, they will go up to press and then to play with Rapha and Maguire over the left, that can give problems and then you end up only kicking long balls.
"He is for me, better on the right, Harry, especially against teams pressing high and second is you have to step in over that side and that was our tactic: to step in over (Julian) Alvarez and get Sofyan (Amrabat) higher to get press on their build-up and that's why."
