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When you cannot triumph, don't lose - according to traditional wisdom.

Prior to their trip to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had earned just 8 points from deficit situations with their manager. They had failed to secure a single point from the previous six games when they trailed since the match to Bournemouth last April, when a late goal snatched a draw.

When they found themselves trailing at the City Ground after letting in twice in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest reversed a disputed first-half opener, Manchester United were in serious trouble.

The question to Amorim after his side recovered to tie could not have been any clearer.

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

The response was equally emphatic.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player demonstrated why Amorim selects him at wing-back by scoring a spectacular first-time volley from just outside the penalty area late in the game to earn a draw.

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

The resolve, the desire, the refusal to give in are unquantifiables.

In this game, the manager felt his players demonstrated they have got better at that as well.

"Previously, if we had such a bad five minutes and we conceded a couple of goals, we don't recover," stated the coach. "Now is a distinct sensation. You can sense we could not win this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a feeling a major club occasionally must possess."

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

The attacker is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, actually the opposite indeed. In the opening period, when he was jeered by the local supporters for what they felt was his tactical play, he reacted - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the epitome of a player who will never allow an opponent any rest.

The coach was asked exactly what had led to the mental improvement. Apart from mentioning the self-belief gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't really give an answer.

"Our self-belief, of course, is totally different," he stated. "We came from three positive performances and we have a newfound confidence. The players comprehend one another more effectively. We communicate increased about this.

"We demonstrated this season we can experience difficult periods but then, we produce three good games.

"We just need to remain engaged in the match until the final 10 minutes. Previously, we could have lost everything based on how we played the encounter. Today, the feeling was not that one."

Uncertainty Lingers Over Prospects of the striker and Mainoo

If this was a occasion when United showed their resilience, it was additionally a day that likely created the Dutch forward and the young midfielder even more unsure of their roles in Amorim's revamped squad.

In his before the game media briefing, the coach said it was possible players who think they are at risk of not making the World Cup will ask to leave in the winter signing period.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and the midfielder fit into that bracket. Zirkzee has managed 82 minutes from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances in the current campaign. For the young player, the total is 138 from 7.

Neither has started a league match so far and nor were they called upon to be substituted on at the City Ground, as United sought a route to recovery into a game they were trailing in from the 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a lot of talent on the substitutes but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to disrupt the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt something," said the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in attack."

Mainoo had a deal in place to move to the Italian club in the last days of the summer window but the club would not sanction a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from a fitness issue but is now considering the idea of a move back to Italy.

The circumstances is complicated by the absence of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the middle of December, a time which features a few midweek games which will demand a level of rotation unseen before.

Since the final is on 18 January, the duo are expected to be returned well before the transfer window ends on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed resolution than any eager to leave player would like.

"This is about the demands of the game," commented Amorim, when asked directly about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "They know it's temporary.

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