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If you can't triumph, don't lose - according to traditional wisdom.

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had secured merely eight points from losing positions under Ruben Amorim. They had not got a single point from the previous six matches when they found themselves behind since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a late effort snatched a tie.

When they were behind at the City Ground after letting in two goals in a short span, as Forest overturned a contentious opening period opener, United were staring down the barrel.

The question to Amorim after his side fought back to tie could not have been more straightforward.

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

The answer was equally decisive.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player showed why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by flashing home a brilliant volleyed strike from near the edge of the box late in the game to earn a point.

It's been clear since the beginning of the season that United are performing at a higher level this term. Since the start of autumn, they have additionally been achieving more positive outcomes.

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

In this game, Amorim believed his squad showed they have improved at that too.

"In the past, if we had this kind of bad five minutes and we suffered two goals, we don't recover," said Amorim. "Now is a different sensation. It's evident we might not triumph in the match but we are not going to lose. And that is a feeling a big team sometimes must possess."

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

Cunha is not one to shy away from difficult situations, actually the opposite indeed. In the opening period, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they felt was his tactical play, he reacted - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

Mbeumo is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a footballer who will never allow an rival any rest.

Amorim was asked exactly what had caused the mental improvement. Apart from mentioning the confidence generated from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't provide an answer.

"The confidence, naturally, is totally different," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a different confidence. We understand each other more effectively. We communicate more about this.

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

"It's essential to be engaged in the match until the last moments. In the past, we could have lost everything the way we performed in the encounter. Now, the feeling was not that one."

Doubt Remains Regarding Prospects of the striker and Mainoo

While this represented a day when United showed their fighting spirit, it was also a moment that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly uncertain of their futures in Amorim's new-look squad.

In his before the game media briefing, Amorim said it was likely players who think they are at risk of not making the international tournament will ask to leave in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume the striker and the midfielder fall into that bracket. The forward has accumulated less than two full games from his 4 Premier League substitute appearances this season. For Mainoo, the total is over two hours from seven.

Neither has started a Premier League match this season and nor were they called upon to be substituted on at the City Ground, as the team sought a route to recovery into a game 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 disrupt the game all the time, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained Amorim. "We were improving during the later stages, so my feeling was not to change anything with the players in front."

The midfielder had a deal in progress to join Napoli in the final stages of the transfer period but the club would not approve a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from injury but is currently considering the possibility of a return to Italy.

The circumstances is made more complex by the loss of the winger and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the middle of the winter, a period which includes a couple of weekday matches which will demand a level of squad changes not previously needed.

Since the final is on January 18th, the pair are expected to be returned well before the transfer window ends on 2 February - which may mean a delayed resolution than what wantaway individual would like.

"It is the characteristics of the game," said the coach, when questioned directly about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "They know it's only a phase.

"It isn't related to ability - and we have a many fixtures."