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If you can't triumph, don't lose - so the old saying goes.

Prior to their trip to Forest, Man Utd had earned just 8 points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had not got any from the past six games when they found themselves behind since the trip to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute effort snatched a tie.

When they went down at the stadium after conceding two goals in a couple of minutes, as Forest overturned a controversial first-half opener, Manchester United were staring down the barrel.

The inquiry to the manager after his side recovered to draw could not have been more straightforward.

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

The answer was equally forceful.

"Absolutely, and by a larger margin, in my opinion."

It's impossible to determine the actual outcome. However, we do know that Amad Diallo showed why the coach 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 draw.

It has been obvious since the start of the season that Manchester United are performing at a higher level this term. Since the beginning of October, they have additionally been getting better results.

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

In this game, Amorim believed his squad showed they have got better at that too.

"Previously, if we had this kind of bad five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," stated the coach. "Today is a distinct feeling. It's evident we might not triumph in the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a big team sometimes must possess."

The manager didn't say it, but the arrival of Matheus Cunha and the winger probably made a difference.

The attacker is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, actually the opposite indeed. In the first half, when he was jeered by the local supporters for what they believed was his tactical play, he reacted - rather than ignore it - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

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

The coach was asked exactly what had led to the psychological growth. Apart from mentioning the self-belief generated from the previous three successive wins, he didn't really give an explanation.

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

"We demonstrated this season we can have difficult periods but suddenly, we have three good games.

"We just need to be inside the match until the last moments. In the past, we could have collapsed completely the way we played the game. Now, the impression was different."

Doubt Lingers Regarding Futures of Zirkzee and Mainoo

If this was a day when United displayed their resilience, it was also a moment that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their roles in the manager's revamped squad.

In his before the game press conference, the coach stated it was likely players who think they are at danger of missing the World Cup will request transfers in the January signing period.

One can reasonably conclude Zirkzee and Mainoo fit into that category. The forward has managed less than two full games from his four top-flight substitute appearances this season. For the young player, 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 sought a route to recovery into a game they were trailing in from the second half.

"We have a lot of talent on the bench but at times I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the game all the time, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," said the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my instinct was not to change anything with the guys in front."

The midfielder had a agreement in place to join Napoli in the final stages of the transfer period but United would not approve a deal. The striker was coming back from injury but is now considering the possibility of a move back to Italy.

The situation is made more complex by the loss of the winger and Amad to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of December, a period which includes a few weekday matches which will demand a degree of squad changes not previously needed.

Since the championship match is on 18 January, the pair should be back well before the signing period ends on 2 February - which could result in a later outcome than what wantaway player would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the sport," said the coach, when asked directly about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "They know it's only a phase.

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