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

Before their trip to Nottingham Forest, Manchester United had earned merely 8 points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the past six matches when they found themselves behind since the match to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a late goal secured a tie.

When they were behind at the stadium after conceding twice in a short span, as Nottingham Forest reversed a disputed first-half goal, Manchester United were staring down the barrel.

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

Had that match happened last season, do you feel you would have lost it?'

The response was just as emphatic.

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

We can never know the reality. However, we do know that Amad Diallo showed why Amorim picks him at defensive wing by scoring a sensational volleyed strike from near the edge of the penalty area nine minutes from time to earn a draw.

It's been clear since the beginning of the campaign that United are performing at a higher level this season. Since the start of autumn, they have also been getting better results.

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

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

"In the past, if we had such a bad five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we don't recover," said the coach. "Today is a distinct feeling. You can sense we could not win the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a feeling a big team occasionally has to have."

Amorim didn't say it, but the addition of the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo likely contributed.

Cunha is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, quite the reverse indeed. In the first half, when he was jeered by the local supporters for what they felt was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the crest on his kit.

Mbeumo is a energetic nuisance, the perfect example of a player who will not give an rival a moment's peace.

Amorim was questioned exactly what had caused the psychological growth. Apart from mentioning the self-belief gained from the previous three successive wins, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely changed," he stated. "Following three positive performances and we have a newfound confidence. The players comprehend one another better. We communicate more about this.

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

"It's essential to be inside the game until the last moments. Previously, we could have collapsed completely based on how we played the encounter. Now, the impression was not that one."

Uncertainty Lingers Regarding Futures of Zirkzee and Mainoo

If this was a occasion when the team displayed their resilience, it was also a moment that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo even more unsure of their futures in Amorim's revamped Manchester United.

In his pre-match press conference, the coach stated it was possible members of the squad who think they are at risk of missing the international tournament will ask to leave in the January transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and the midfielder fall into that bracket. The forward has accumulated less than two full games from his four top-flight cameo roles this season. For Mainoo, the number is 138 from seven.

Not one has started a league match this season and neither were they called upon to come off the bench at the stadium, as United chased a route to recovery into a game they were losing from the second half.

"Our squad includes a lot of quality on the bench but at times I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the flow all the time, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," said the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the players in front."

Mainoo had a deal in place to move to the Italian club in the last days of the transfer period but United would not approve a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from injury but is now considering the possibility of a return to Serie A.

The situation is complicated by the absence of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the middle of December, a period which features a few weekday matches which will require a degree of rotation unseen before.

As the championship match is on January 18th, the duo are expected to be back well before the signing period ends on 2 February - which may mean a delayed outcome than any eager to leave individual would like.

"This is about the demands of the sport," commented Amorim, when asked directly about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "The players understand it's only a phase.

"It's nothing to do with quality - and we have a many fixtures."