The real reason for the delayed direction question, is because LOTS of users asked for it!
Mostly because they fly online, because if the ATC, for any reason ( weather, traffic, etc. ) changes his mind and gives you a different runway, and you already decided for the now "wrong" pushback direction, it would happen exactly what the OP said it could happen now if he didn't pay attention to the GSX direction window as it is now: you would have to restart GSX.
Since ATC runway changes ( especially with human ATC ) are fairly realistic, we agreed to the change, which according to many users of this forum, made lot of people on VATSIM/IVAO very happy.