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When you cannot triumph, avoid defeat - as the proverb states.

Prior to their trip to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had secured only eight points from deficit situations under Ruben Amorim. They had not got a single point from the past six matches when they were losing since the trip to Bournemouth last spring, when a last-minute goal secured a tie.

When they found themselves trailing at the stadium after conceding twice in a couple of minutes, as Forest reversed a disputed opening period opener, United were in serious trouble.

The question to the manager after his side fought back 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 equally emphatic.

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

It's impossible to determine the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player demonstrated why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by flashing home a brilliant volleyed strike from just outside the penalty area late in the game to earn a draw.

It has been obvious since the beginning of the campaign that Manchester United are performing at a higher level this season. Since the start of October, they have additionally been getting better results.

The determination, the desire, the unwillingness to surrender are intangibles.

In this game, Amorim believed his squad demonstrated they have got better at that as well.

"Previously, if we had such a bad five minutes and we suffered two goals, we don't recover," stated Amorim. "Now is a distinct feeling. It's evident we could not triumph in the match but we are not going to lose. And this represents a mindset a major club occasionally has to have."

Amorim didn't say it, but the arrival of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo must have helped.

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 home fans for what they believed was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the perfect example of a footballer who will never allow an rival a moment's peace.

Amorim was asked exactly what had caused the psychological growth. Apart from mentioning the self-belief gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't provide an answer.

"Our self-belief, of course, is totally changed," he stated. "Following three good games and we have a different confidence. We understand one another better. We talk more about this.

"We proved this season we can have bad moments but then, we have three strong performances.

"It's essential to remain engaged in the game until the final 10 minutes. Previously, we could have collapsed completely the way we played the game. Today, the feeling was different."

Doubt Lingers Over Prospects of the striker and the midfielder

If this was a occasion when the team displayed their fighting spirit, it was additionally a moment that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly unsure of their futures in Amorim's revamped Manchester United.

In his before the game press conference, Amorim said it was likely players who believe they are at risk of not making the World Cup will request transfers in the January signing period.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and the midfielder fall into that bracket. The forward has managed less than two full games from his 4 top-flight cameo roles in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is 138 from 7.

Not one has started a Premier League match this season and neither were they asked to be substituted on at the stadium, as the team chased a way back into a contest they were trailing in from the second half.

"Our squad includes a lot of quality on the bench but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to stop the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my instinct was to avoid altering anything with the guys in front."

The midfielder had a deal in place to move to Napoli in the last days of the summer window but the club would not approve a deal. Zirkzee was returning from injury but is now considering the idea of a return to Italy.

The situation is complicated by the loss of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a time which includes a few weekday matches which will require a degree of rotation unseen before.

Since the final is on 18 January, the duo are expected to be returned well before the signing period ends on 2 February - which may mean a later resolution than what eager to leave player would prefer.

"It is the demands of the game," commented the coach, when asked directly about the forward and the midfielder. "They know it's only a phase.

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