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

Prior to their journey to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had secured only 8 points from deficit situations under their manager. They had not got a single point from the past six matches when they trailed since the trip to Bournemouth last spring, when a last-minute effort snatched a draw.

When they went down at the stadium after conceding twice in a short span, as Nottingham Forest overturned a contentious first-half goal, Manchester United were in serious trouble.

The inquiry to the manager after his side recovered to draw could not have been any clearer.

Had that match occurred last season, do you feel it would have ended in defeat?'

The answer was just as emphatic.

"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 picks him at defensive wing by flashing home a sensational volleyed strike from just outside the penalty area late in the game to secure a point.

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

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

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

"Previously, if we had this kind of poor five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we don't recover," said the coach. "Today is a distinct sensation. It's evident we might not win this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a feeling a big team occasionally has to have."

The manager didn't mention it, but the arrival of the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo likely contributed.

The attacker is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, actually the opposite indeed. In the opening period, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his gamesmanship, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the epitome of a player who will not give an opponent a moment's peace.

Amorim was asked precisely 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.

"The confidence, of course, is totally changed," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a newfound confidence. We understand one another more effectively. We talk more about this.

"We demonstrated this year we can have bad moments but suddenly, we have three strong performances.

"We just need to remain inside the match until the final 10 minutes. In the past, we could have lost everything the way we performed in the encounter. Now, the feeling was not that one."

Uncertainty Remains Over Prospects of Zirkzee and Mainoo

If this was a occasion when United showed their resilience, it was also a day that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly uncertain of their futures in Amorim's revamped Manchester United.

In his pre-match media briefing, Amorim stated it was likely members of the squad who think they are at danger of missing the international tournament will ask to leave in the winter signing period.

It is fair to assume Zirkzee and the midfielder fit into that category. Zirkzee has managed 82 minutes from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is over two hours from 7.

Not one has started a league match this season and neither were they asked to be substituted on at the City Ground, as United chased a way back into a contest they were losing from the second half.

"We have a great deal of quality on the bench but at times I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the flow constantly, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained Amorim. "We were improving during the later stages, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in attack."

The midfielder had a deal in progress to join Napoli in the last days of the transfer period but the club would not sanction a transfer. The striker was returning from a fitness issue but is currently open to the possibility of a return to Italy.

The situation is complicated by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a time which features a couple of midweek games which will require a level of squad changes not previously needed.

As the championship match is on January 18th, the duo are expected to be back well before the signing period closes on 2 February - which could result in a delayed outcome than what eager to leave player would like.

"It is the characteristics of the sport," said the coach, when questioned specifically about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "The players understand it's temporary.

"It's nothing to do with ability - and we have a lot of fixtures."