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If you can't win, don't lose - as the proverb states.

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had gained just eight points from deficit situations under their manager. They had failed to secure a single point from the past six matches when they were losing since the trip to Bournemouth last April, when a late goal secured a draw.

When they found themselves trailing at the City Ground after letting in two goals in a short span, as Forest reversed a controversial first-half opener, Manchester United were staring down the barrel.

The question to the manager after his side recovered to draw could not have been more straightforward.

Had that match occurred the previous campaign, do you believe you would have lost it?'

The response was equally decisive.

"Absolutely, and by a larger margin, that is my feeling."

We can never know the actual outcome. However, we do know that Amad Diallo showed why the coach picks him at wing-back by scoring a brilliant volleyed strike from just outside the box late in the game to secure a draw.

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

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

In this game, the manager felt his squad demonstrated they have got better at that too.

"Previously, if we had this kind of bad short period and we conceded a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said the coach. "Now is a distinct sensation. You can sense we might not win the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And this represents a feeling a big team sometimes has to have."

Amorim didn't say it, but the signing of the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo must have helped.

The attacker is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, on the contrary indeed. In the first half, when he was jeered by the local supporters for what they believed was his tactical play, he responded - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the perfect example of a footballer who will never allow an opponent any rest.

Amorim was questioned exactly what had led to the mental improvement. Apart from saying the self-belief generated from the previous three consecutive victories, he didn't really give an explanation.

"The confidence, naturally, is completely different," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a newfound assurance. The players comprehend each other more effectively. We communicate increased about these aspects.

"We demonstrated this year we can have bad moments but suddenly, we produce three good games.

"It's essential to be inside the game until the last moments. In the past, we could have collapsed completely based on how we performed in the game. Now, the impression was different."

Uncertainty Lingers Over Futures of the striker and Mainoo

If this was a day when United displayed their fighting spirit, it was additionally a day that likely created the Dutch forward and the young midfielder increasingly unsure of their roles in the manager's new-look Manchester United.

In his before the game press conference, Amorim said it was possible members of the squad who believe 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 bracket. The forward has accumulated 82 minutes from his four top-flight cameo roles this season. For the young player, the number is 138 from seven.

Neither has begun a Premier League match this season and neither were they called upon to come off the bench at the stadium, as the team chased a way back into a game they were trailing in from the second half.

"We have a lot of quality on the bench but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the flow all the time, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained the manager. "We were improving during the second half, so my feeling was not to change anything with the guys in attack."

The midfielder had a agreement in progress to move to the Italian club in the final stages of the summer window but United would not sanction a transfer. Zirkzee was returning from a fitness issue but is now open to the possibility of a return to Serie A.

The circumstances is complicated by the loss of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the midst of the winter, a time which features a couple of weekday matches which will require a degree of rotation not previously needed.

Since the championship match is on 18 January, the duo are expected to be returned well before the transfer window closes on 2 February - which may mean a later resolution than what wantaway player would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the game," commented Amorim, when questioned specifically about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's just a moment.

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