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

Before their journey to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had earned only eight points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six matches when they trailed since the trip to Bournemouth last April, when a late goal snatched a tie.

When they were behind at the City Ground after letting in two goals in a couple of minutes, as Forest reversed a contentious opening period opener, United were in serious trouble.

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

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

The response was just as emphatic.

"Yes, and by more goals, in my opinion."

It's impossible to determine the reality. What we do know that the young player demonstrated why the coach selects him at wing-back by scoring a spectacular volleyed strike from just outside the box nine minutes from time to secure a point.

It has been obvious since the start of the season that United are performing at a higher level this term. Since the beginning of autumn, they have additionally been achieving more positive outcomes.

The resolve, the desire, the refusal to give in are unquantifiables.

In this game, the manager felt his players showed they have improved at that too.

"In the past, if we had this kind of bad five minutes and we conceded two goals, we don't recover," stated the coach. "Now is a different feeling. It's evident we could not triumph in this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a mindset a major club occasionally must possess."

Amorim didn't mention it, but the addition of Matheus Cunha and the winger likely contributed.

Cunha is not one to shy away from difficult situations, actually the opposite in fact. In the first half, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they felt was his tactical play, he reacted - rather than ignore it - pointing to the badge on his shorts.

Mbeumo is a constant threat, the perfect example of a footballer who will never allow an opponent any rest.

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

"The confidence, of course, is totally different," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a different assurance. We understand each other more effectively. We communicate more about this.

"We demonstrated this year we can experience difficult periods but then, we produce three strong performances.

"It's essential to be engaged in the game until the last moments. Previously, we could have collapsed completely the way we played the game. Today, the feeling was not that one."

Uncertainty Lingers Regarding Prospects of Zirkzee and Mainoo

While this represented a day when the team showed their fighting spirit, it was also a day that likely created the Dutch forward and the young midfielder even more uncertain of their futures in the manager's revamped squad.

In his before the game media briefing, Amorim said it was likely members of the squad who think they are at risk of missing the World Cup will ask to leave in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume the striker and the midfielder fall into that category. The forward has accumulated 82 minutes from his four Premier League substitute appearances this season. For the young player, the total is over two hours from 7.

Neither has begun a league game 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 game they were losing from the second half.

"Our squad includes a great deal of quality 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 the rhythm," explained the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my instinct was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in front."

The midfielder had a deal in place to join Napoli in the last days of the transfer period but United would not sanction a transfer. The striker was coming back from a fitness issue but is now considering the idea of a move back to Serie A.

The situation is complicated by the loss of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the midst of the winter, a period which features a couple of midweek games which will demand a level of rotation unseen before.

Since the final is on January 18th, the pair are expected to be returned well before the signing period closes on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed outcome than any eager to leave individual would prefer.

"This is about the demands of the sport," said Amorim, when questioned specifically about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's just a moment.

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