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When you cannot win, don't lose - as the proverb states.

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Manchester United had earned only 8 points from losing positions under Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six matches when they were losing since the match to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a late effort snatched a tie.

When they found themselves trailing at the City Ground after conceding two goals in a short span, as Forest reversed a controversial opening period opener, Manchester United were facing defeat.

The inquiry to the manager after his side fought back to draw could not have been more direct.

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

The response was equally forceful.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player showed why the coach selects him at defensive wing by scoring a sensational volleyed strike from near the edge of the box nine minutes from time to secure a point.

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

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

In this game, the manager believed his players showed they have got better at that as well.

"Previously, if we had such a bad short period and we conceded two goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said Amorim. "Now is a different feeling. You can sense we might not triumph in the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a major club occasionally must possess."

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

Cunha is not one to shy away from difficult situations, actually the opposite indeed. In the first half, when he was jeered by the local supporters for what they felt was his tactical play, he responded - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

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

Amorim was asked precisely what had caused the mental improvement. Beyond saying the self-belief generated from the previous three successive wins, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely different," he said. "Following three good games and we have a different assurance. The players comprehend one another better. We talk more about these aspects.

"We proved this year we can have difficult periods but suddenly, we have three good games.

"We just need to be engaged in the game until the last moments. In the past, we could have lost everything the way we performed in the encounter. Today, the impression was different."

Uncertainty Lingers Regarding Prospects of the striker and Mainoo

While this represented a day when United displayed their resilience, it was also a moment that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo even more uncertain of their futures in Amorim's new-look Manchester United.

In his before the game press conference, Amorim said it was possible members of the squad who think they are at risk of missing the international tournament will request transfers in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume the striker and the midfielder fall into that category. The forward has managed 82 minutes from his four Premier League cameo roles in the current campaign. For the young player, the number is 138 from seven.

Neither has begun a league match this season and neither were they asked to come off the bench at the City Ground, as the team sought a way back into a contest they were trailing in from the 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a great deal 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 something," said the manager. "We were improving during the second half, so my instinct was to avoid altering the setup with the players in front."

The midfielder had a agreement in place to join Napoli in the last days of the summer window but United would not approve a transfer. The striker was returning from injury but is currently considering the possibility of a move back to Italy.

The circumstances is complicated by the absence of the winger and Amad to the Africa Cup of Nations in the midst of the winter, a time which includes a few midweek games which will require a degree of rotation unseen before.

Since the championship match is on January 18th, the duo should be returned long before the signing period ends on February 2nd - which could result in a later resolution than any eager to leave player would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the game," commented Amorim, when asked specifically about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's temporary.

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