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When you cannot triumph, avoid defeat - according to traditional wisdom.

Prior to their trip to Forest, Manchester United had earned merely eight points from deficit situations under Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six matches when they were losing since the trip to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute effort snatched a draw.

When they went down at the City Ground after conceding two goals in a couple of minutes, as Forest overturned a contentious opening period opener, Manchester United were staring down the barrel.

The inquiry to Amorim after his side recovered to draw could not have been more straightforward.

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

The answer was just as forceful.

"Yes, and by a larger margin, I believe so."

It's impossible to determine the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo showed why the coach picks him at defensive wing by scoring a spectacular volleyed strike from near the edge of the penalty area nine minutes from time to earn a draw.

It has been obvious since the beginning of the campaign that United are playing better this term. Since the start of autumn, they have also been achieving more positive outcomes.

The determination, the will, the refusal to give in are unquantifiables.

In this game, Amorim felt his players demonstrated they have improved at that as well.

"Previously, if we had such a poor five minutes and we suffered two goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said the coach. "Today is a distinct sensation. It's evident we might not triumph in the match but we are not going to lose. And that is a mindset a big team occasionally has to have."

Amorim didn't mention it, but the addition of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo probably made a difference.

Cunha is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, quite the reverse indeed. In the opening period, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they felt was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a constant threat, the epitome of a footballer who will not give an rival a moment's peace.

Amorim was questioned exactly what had led to the psychological growth. Beyond saying the confidence gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is totally different," he stated. "Following three positive performances and we have a newfound confidence. The players comprehend each other more effectively. We communicate increased about these aspects.

"We demonstrated this year we can experience difficult periods but then, we have three strong performances.

"It's essential to remain engaged in the game until the last moments. Previously, we could have collapsed completely the way we performed in the encounter. Today, the feeling was different."

Doubt Remains Regarding Futures of Zirkzee and Mainoo

If this was a occasion when United displayed their resilience, it was additionally a moment that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder even more unsure of their roles in Amorim's new-look squad.

In his before the game media briefing, the coach said it was likely players who think they are at risk of not making the World Cup will request transfers in the January transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and Mainoo fit into that category. The forward has accumulated 82 minutes from his four Premier League cameo roles this season. For Mainoo, the number is over two hours from seven.

Not one has started a league game this season and neither were they called upon to be substituted on at the stadium, as the team chased a route to recovery into a contest they were trailing in from the second half.

"We have a lot of quality on the substitutes but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the flow constantly, I'm going to interrupt something," said the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my instinct was not to change the setup with the guys in attack."

Mainoo had a deal in progress to move to the Italian club in the last days of the summer window but United would not approve a transfer. Zirkzee was returning from injury but is now considering the possibility of a move back to Serie A.

The situation is complicated by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the midst of December, a time which includes a couple of weekday matches which will require a degree of squad changes unseen before.

Since the championship match is on January 18th, the duo are expected to be returned long before the signing period closes on February 2nd - which could result in a delayed resolution than what wantaway individual would prefer.

"This is about the demands of the game," said Amorim, when asked directly about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's just a moment.

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