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When you cannot triumph, avoid defeat - according to traditional wisdom.

Before their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had gained just 8 points from deficit situations with Ruben Amorim. They had not got any from the past six games when they were losing since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last spring, when a last-minute effort snatched a draw.

When they were behind at the stadium after conceding twice in a short span, as Forest overturned a disputed opening period opener, United were staring down the barrel.

The question to the manager after his side fought back to draw could not have been any clearer.

'If that game happened the previous campaign, do you feel you would have lost it?'

The response was equally emphatic.

"Yes, and by more goals, I believe so."

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

It has been obvious since the beginning of the campaign that United are playing better this season. Since the start of October, they have additionally been achieving more positive outcomes.

The resolve, the will, the unwillingness to surrender are unquantifiables.

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

"Previously, if we had such a poor five minutes and we suffered two goals, we don't recover," stated Amorim. "Now 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 Matheus Cunha and the winger probably made a difference.

The attacker is not the type to retreat from difficult situations, 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 reacted - rather than ignore it - pointing to the badge on his shorts.

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

Amorim was questioned exactly what had led to the mental improvement. Apart from mentioning the confidence gained from the prior three successive wins, he didn't provide an explanation.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is totally changed," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a different assurance. The players comprehend each other better. We communicate increased about these aspects.

"We proved this season we can have bad moments but then, we produce three good games.

"It's essential to be inside the match until the last moments. In the past, we could have collapsed completely based on how we played the encounter. Now, the feeling was different."

Uncertainty Lingers Over Futures of the striker and Mainoo

While this represented a occasion when the team displayed their resilience, it was also a day that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their futures in the manager's new-look squad.

In his pre-match 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 winter transfer window.

It is fair to assume Zirkzee and Mainoo fit into that bracket. The forward has managed less than two full games from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is over two hours from seven.

Not one has started a league game so far and neither were they asked to come off the bench 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 talent on the bench but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the game all the time, I'm going to interrupt something," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the guys 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 sanction a transfer. Zirkzee was returning from a fitness issue but is currently considering the idea of a return to Italy.

The situation is made more complex by the loss of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the midst of the winter, a time which includes a couple of midweek games which will require a degree of squad changes unseen before.

Since the final is on January 18th, the pair should be returned long before the transfer window closes on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed resolution than what eager to leave player would prefer.

"This is about the demands of the sport," said the coach, when asked specifically about the forward and the midfielder. "They know it's only a phase.

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