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If you can't triumph, don't lose - so the old saying goes.

Before their journey to Forest, Man Utd had earned merely eight points from deficit situations under Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure a single point from the previous six matches when they found themselves behind since the match to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute effort secured a draw.

When they were behind at the stadium after conceding twice in a short span, as Nottingham Forest reversed a controversial opening period goal, United were in serious trouble.

The question to Amorim after his side recovered to tie could not have been more direct.

'If that game occurred the previous campaign, do you feel you would have lost it?'

The answer was equally decisive.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player demonstrated why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by scoring a sensational first-time volley from near the edge of the penalty area nine minutes from time to earn a point.

It's been clear since the start of the campaign that Manchester United are playing better this season. Since the beginning of autumn, they have also been getting better results.

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

In this match, Amorim believed his squad demonstrated they have improved at that too.

"Previously, if we had this kind of poor five minutes and we conceded two goals, we don't recover," stated the coach. "Now is a different sensation. It's evident we might not triumph in this game but we are not going to lose. And that is a feeling a major club occasionally has to have."

Amorim didn't say it, but the signing of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo likely contributed.

The attacker is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, actually the opposite in fact. In the opening period, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they believed was his gamesmanship, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the crest on his kit.

The forward is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a player who will never allow an rival a moment's peace.

The coach was asked precisely what had led to the psychological growth. Apart from saying the self-belief gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, of course, is completely different," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a different confidence. The players comprehend one another better. We communicate more about this.

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

"It's essential to be inside the game until the final 10 minutes. Previously, we could have lost everything the way we played the game. Now, the feeling was not that one."

Uncertainty Remains Over Prospects 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 futures in the manager's new-look squad.

In his pre-match press conference, Amorim stated it was likely players who believe they are at risk of missing the World Cup will request transfers in the January signing period.

It is fair to assume the striker and the midfielder fall into that category. Zirkzee has managed less than two full games from his four Premier League substitute appearances this season. For the young player, the number is 138 from 7.

Neither has begun a league match this season and nor were they called upon to come off the bench at the stadium, as United sought a way back into a contest they were losing from the 50th minute.

"We have a lot of talent on the substitutes but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the flow all the time, I'm going to break the rhythm," said Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my feeling was not to change anything with the players in attack."

Mainoo had a agreement in progress to move to Napoli in the last days of the transfer period but United would not approve a transfer. The striker was coming back from injury but is now open to the idea of a move back to Italy.

The situation is complicated by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the midst of December, a period which features a few midweek games which will demand a level of rotation not previously needed.

Since the championship match is on January 18th, the pair should be back well before the transfer window closes on 2 February - which could result in a delayed outcome than any eager to leave individual would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the game," commented Amorim, when asked directly about the forward and the midfielder. "They know it's just a moment.

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