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When you cannot triumph, don't lose - so the old saying goes.

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had gained only 8 points from deficit situations with Ruben Amorim. They had not got a single point from the previous six games when they were losing since the match to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute effort snatched a tie.

When they found themselves trailing at the stadium after conceding twice in a short span, as Nottingham Forest reversed a controversial opening period goal, Manchester United were facing defeat.

The question to the manager after his side fought back to tie could not have been more direct.

'If that game occurred the previous campaign, do you believe it would have ended in defeat?'

The response was just as emphatic.

"Yes, and by more goals, that is my feeling."

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why the coach selects him at defensive wing by scoring a brilliant first-time volley from near the edge of the box late in the game to earn a draw.

It has been obvious since the beginning of the season that Manchester United are playing better this season. Since the start of October, they have additionally been getting better results.

The resolve, the will, the unwillingness to surrender are unquantifiables.

In this match, Amorim felt his players demonstrated they have got better at that too.

"In the past, if we had such a poor five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we don't recover," stated the coach. "Now is a distinct feeling. It's evident we could not win this game but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a major club occasionally must possess."

The manager didn't say it, but the addition of Matheus Cunha and the winger probably made a difference.

Cunha is not the type to retreat from difficult situations, actually the opposite in fact. In the opening period, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his gamesmanship, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

Mbeumo is a hustle-bustle menace, the epitome of a player who will never allow an opponent a moment's peace.

Amorim was asked exactly what had led to the mental improvement. Apart from saying the confidence generated from the previous three successive wins, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, of course, is completely changed," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a different assurance. The players comprehend each other better. We talk more about these aspects.

"We proved this season we can have bad moments but suddenly, we produce three good games.

"It's essential to remain inside the game until the last moments. Previously, we could have collapsed completely based on how we performed in the encounter. Now, the impression was different."

Uncertainty Remains Regarding Futures of Zirkzee and the midfielder

If this was a day when the team showed their resilience, it was also a moment that likely created the Dutch forward and Kobbie Mainoo even more uncertain of their futures in the manager's revamped Manchester United.

In his before the game press conference, Amorim said it was possible members of the squad who believe they are at danger of missing the international tournament will request transfers in the January transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and Mainoo fall into that bracket. The forward has managed 82 minutes from his 4 Premier League cameo roles in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is 138 from 7.

Not one has started a league game so far and neither were they asked to come off the bench at the City Ground, as the team chased a way back into a game they were trailing in from the second half.

"Our squad includes a lot of quality on the bench but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to stop the game constantly, I'm going to break something," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my instinct was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in front."

Mainoo had a deal in progress to join Napoli in the last days of the summer window but the club would not approve a deal. The striker was coming back from injury but is now open to the possibility of a return to Serie A.

The situation is made more complex by the loss of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of December, a time which includes a couple of weekday matches which will require a level of squad changes not previously needed.

Since the final is on 18 January, the pair should be returned long before the transfer window closes on 2 February - which could result in a later resolution than any eager to leave player would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the game," commented the coach, when questioned specifically about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's only a phase.

"It isn't related to quality - and we have a lot of fixtures."