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If you can't win, don't lose - as the proverb states.

Prior to their journey to Forest, Man Utd had earned just eight points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six matches when they trailed since the match to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute goal secured a tie.

When they were behind at the City Ground after conceding twice in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest reversed a controversial opening period opener, Manchester United were staring down the barrel.

The inquiry to Amorim after his side recovered to draw could not have been any clearer.

Had that match occurred the previous campaign, do you feel you would have lost it?'

The response was just as decisive.

"Absolutely, and by a larger margin, that is my feeling."

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo showed why Amorim picks him at wing-back by flashing home a brilliant volleyed strike from just outside the box late in the game to earn a draw.

It's been clear since the start of the season that United are performing at a higher level this term. Since the start of October, they have also been getting better results.

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

In this match, the manager felt his squad showed they have improved at that too.

"Previously, if we had this kind of bad five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said the coach. "Now is a distinct sensation. You can sense we might not triumph in this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a mindset a big team occasionally has to have."

Amorim didn't say it, but the signing of Matheus Cunha and the winger probably made a difference.

The attacker is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, on the contrary indeed. In the opening period, when he was jeered by the local supporters for what they believed was his gamesmanship, he responded - rather than ignore it - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a footballer who will not give an rival any rest.

The coach was questioned precisely what had led to the psychological growth. Apart from mentioning the confidence generated from the prior three successive wins, he didn't provide an explanation.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely different," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a newfound assurance. We understand each other more effectively. We talk more about this.

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

"It's essential to remain engaged in the match until the final 10 minutes. Previously, we could have collapsed completely based on how we played the encounter. Today, the impression was different."

Uncertainty Lingers Over Futures of Zirkzee and Mainoo

While this represented a occasion when the team displayed their fighting spirit, it was also a day that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly uncertain of their futures in the manager's new-look Manchester United.

In his pre-match press conference, the coach stated it was likely players who think they are at danger of not making the World Cup will request transfers in the winter transfer window.

It is fair to assume Zirkzee and Mainoo fall into that bracket. The forward has managed less than two full games from his 4 Premier League substitute appearances this season. For Mainoo, the number is 138 from 7.

Not one has begun a Premier League game so far and nor were they called upon to come off the bench at the stadium, as United sought a way back into a game they were trailing in from the second half.

"We have a lot of quality on the bench but at times I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," said the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my instinct was not to change anything with the guys in attack."

Mainoo had a agreement in place to join Napoli in the last days of the summer window but United would not sanction a deal. Zirkzee was returning from a fitness issue but is currently considering the idea of a move back to Serie A.

The situation is complicated by the absence of Mbeumo and Amad to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a time which includes a couple of midweek games which will demand a degree of rotation unseen before.

As the championship match is on 18 January, the pair are expected to be back long before the transfer window closes on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed resolution than what eager to leave player would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the sport," said Amorim, when questioned directly about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's only a phase.

"It's nothing to do with ability - and we have a lot of games."