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

Before their trip to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had gained merely eight points from losing positions under Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure a single point from the past six matches when they were losing since the match to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute effort snatched a draw.

When they were behind at the City Ground after letting in twice in a couple of minutes, as Forest reversed a contentious opening period goal, Manchester United were facing defeat.

The inquiry to Amorim after his side fought back to tie could not have been any clearer.

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

The response was just as emphatic.

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

We can never know the reality. What we do know that the young player showed why Amorim picks him at defensive wing by scoring a spectacular first-time volley from near the edge of the penalty area late in the game to earn a point.

It's been clear since the start of the campaign that United are playing better this term. Since the start of autumn, they have additionally been achieving more positive outcomes.

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

In this match, the manager felt his players showed they have improved at that as well.

"In the past, if we had such a poor short period and we conceded a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," stated Amorim. "Now is a different feeling. You can sense we could not win this game but we are not going to lose. And that is a feeling a big team occasionally has to have."

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

Cunha is not the type to retreat from difficult situations, quite the reverse in fact. In the first half, when he was booed by the home fans for what they felt was his gamesmanship, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

The forward is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a player who will not give an rival a moment's peace.

The coach was asked precisely what had led to the psychological growth. Beyond saying the self-belief generated from the prior three successive wins, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, of course, is totally different," he said. "We came from three good games and we have a newfound confidence. The players comprehend one another more effectively. We talk more about these aspects.

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

"It's essential to remain engaged in the match until the last moments. In the past, we could have collapsed completely based on how we performed in the encounter. Today, the impression was different."

Doubt Remains Over Prospects of Zirkzee and the midfielder

If this was a day when the team showed their resilience, it was also a moment that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly uncertain of their futures in the manager's new-look squad.

In his before the game press conference, the coach stated it was likely members of the squad who think they are at risk of not making the World Cup will ask to leave in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume Zirkzee and the midfielder fall into that bracket. Zirkzee has managed 82 minutes from his four Premier League cameo roles this season. For the young player, the number is over two hours from seven.

Neither has begun a Premier League game this season and nor were they asked to come off the bench 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 great deal of quality on the substitutes but at times I have the feeling if I'm going to disrupt the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained the manager. "We were improving during the later stages, so my instinct was not to change anything with the players in attack."

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

The circumstances is complicated by the loss of the winger and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of December, a period which includes a few weekday matches which will require a level of rotation unseen before.

As the final is on 18 January, the duo should be returned long before the transfer window ends on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed outcome than any wantaway individual would like.

"It is the demands of the game," said the coach, when questioned directly about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "The players understand it's temporary.

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