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When you cannot triumph, don't lose - according to traditional wisdom.

Before their visit to Forest, Man Utd had earned just 8 points from losing positions with their manager. They had not got a single point from the past six matches when they were losing since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a late goal secured a tie.

When they found themselves trailing at the City Ground after conceding two goals 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 recovered to draw could not have been any clearer.

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

The answer was just as emphatic.

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

We can never know the reality. What we do know that the young player showed why Amorim picks him at wing-back by flashing home a spectacular first-time volley from just outside the box late in the game to earn a point.

It's been clear since the beginning of the campaign that United are playing better this season. Since the start of October, they have additionally been getting better results.

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

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

"Previously, if we had such a poor five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we don't recover," stated Amorim. "Today is a distinct feeling. It's evident we might not win this game but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a feeling a major club occasionally has to have."

The manager didn't mention it, but the signing of the Brazilian forward and the winger probably made a difference.

The attacker is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, actually the opposite indeed. In the opening period, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his tactical play, he reacted - rather than ignore it - pointing to the badge on his kit.

The forward is a constant threat, the perfect example of a player who will not give an opponent any rest.

The coach was asked precisely what had caused the psychological growth. Beyond mentioning the confidence generated from the previous three successive wins, he didn't provide an answer.

"The confidence, naturally, is completely changed," he stated. "We came from three positive performances and we have a newfound confidence. The players comprehend each other more effectively. We communicate more about this.

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

"It's essential to be inside the match until the last moments. In the past, we could have collapsed completely based on how we performed in the game. Today, the impression was not that one."

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 must have left Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder even more uncertain of their roles in the manager's revamped Manchester United.

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

One can reasonably conclude the striker and Mainoo fall into that category. Zirkzee has accumulated 82 minutes from his four Premier League substitute appearances in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is 138 from 7.

Neither has started a league game so far and nor were they asked to come off the bench at the stadium, as the team chased a way back into a game they were trailing in from the second half.

"We have a lot of quality on the substitutes but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the flow all the time, I'm going to break the rhythm," said Amorim. "We were improving during the later stages, so my instinct was not to change anything with the players in front."

Mainoo had a agreement in progress to move to the Italian club in the last days of the summer window but the club would not sanction a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from a fitness issue but is currently open to the idea of a move back to Italy.

The situation is complicated by the absence of the winger and Amad to the continental tournament in the middle of the winter, a period which includes a couple of weekday matches which will require a level of squad changes not previously needed.

As the final is on January 18th, the pair are expected to be back long before the transfer window ends on 2 February - which may mean a delayed outcome than what eager to leave individual would like.

"It is the demands of the game," said the coach, when asked directly about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "The players understand it's only a phase.

"It isn't related to quality - and we have a many games."