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

Prior to their visit to Forest, Man Utd had secured only 8 points from losing positions with their manager. They had failed to secure any from the previous six games when they trailed since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last spring, when a late effort secured a draw.

When they found themselves trailing at the stadium after conceding two goals in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest overturned a contentious opening period opener, Manchester United were in serious trouble.

The inquiry to the manager after his side recovered to tie could not have been any clearer.

Had that match happened the previous campaign, do you feel you would have lost it?'

The response was equally emphatic.

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

It's impossible to determine the actual outcome. However, we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by flashing home a spectacular volleyed strike from near the edge of the box nine minutes from time to secure a point.

It has been obvious since the beginning of the season that Manchester United are playing better this term. Since the beginning of October, they have also been getting better results.

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

In this game, Amorim believed his players demonstrated they have improved at that too.

"In the past, if we had such a bad five minutes and we conceded two goals, we don't recover," stated Amorim. "Now is a distinct feeling. You can sense we might not win the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a big team occasionally must possess."

The manager didn't say it, but the signing of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo probably made a difference.

The attacker is not the type to retreat from difficult situations, on the contrary in fact. In the opening period, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his gamesmanship, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

Mbeumo is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a player who will never allow an opponent any rest.

Amorim was questioned precisely what had caused the mental improvement. Beyond saying the self-belief gained from the prior three successive wins, he didn't provide an answer.

"The confidence, of course, is totally different," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a different confidence. We understand each other better. We talk more about this.

"We proved this season we can have bad moments but suddenly, we have three good games.

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

Doubt Lingers Over Prospects of the striker and the midfielder

While this represented a day when the team displayed their fighting spirit, it was additionally a moment that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly unsure of their futures in the manager's new-look Manchester United.

In his before the game media briefing, Amorim said it was likely players who believe they are at risk of not making the World Cup will ask to leave in the January signing period.

One can reasonably conclude Zirkzee and the midfielder fit into that category. Zirkzee has managed less than two full games from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is over two hours from 7.

Not one has begun a Premier League match so far and neither were they called upon to be substituted on at the stadium, as United chased a route to recovery into a game they were losing from the second half.

"We have a lot of quality on the bench 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. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my instinct was not to change anything with the players in front."

Mainoo had a deal in progress to join the Italian club in the final stages of the transfer period but the club would not approve a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from injury but is now open to the idea of a return to Italy.

The circumstances is made more complex by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a time which includes a few weekday matches which will require a level of rotation unseen before.

Since the final is on 18 January, the pair are expected to be returned well before the signing period closes on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed resolution than any wantaway player would like.

"It is the characteristics of the sport," commented the coach, when questioned specifically about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "They know it's temporary.

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