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If you can't triumph, don't lose - according to traditional wisdom.

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Manchester United had earned just 8 points from losing positions with their manager. They had not got any from the previous six games when they were losing since the trip to Bournemouth last spring, when a late effort secured a draw.

When they found themselves trailing at the City Ground after letting in two goals in a short span, as Forest overturned a disputed opening period goal, United were staring down the barrel.

The inquiry to Amorim after his side fought back to draw could not have been any clearer.

Had that match occurred the previous campaign, do you believe it would have ended in defeat?'

The answer was equally emphatic.

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

It's impossible to determine the reality. However, we do know that the young player demonstrated why the coach picks him at defensive wing by flashing home a spectacular volleyed strike from just outside the penalty area nine minutes from time to secure a draw.

It's been clear since the start of the season that United are performing at a higher level this term. Since the start of autumn, they have also been getting better results.

The determination, the desire, the unwillingness to surrender are intangibles.

In this match, the manager believed his players demonstrated they have got better at that too.

"In the past, if we had this kind of bad short period and we suffered a couple of goals, we don't recover," said the coach. "Now is a different feeling. It's evident we might not win this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a feeling a major club sometimes has to have."

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

The attacker is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, quite the reverse in fact. In the first half, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his tactical play, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - gesturing toward the crest on his kit.

The forward is a constant threat, the perfect example of a player who will never allow an opponent a moment's peace.

Amorim was questioned precisely what had led to the mental improvement. Beyond saying the confidence generated from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't provide an explanation.

"Our self-belief, of course, is totally different," he stated. "We came from three positive performances and we have a different confidence. The players comprehend one another better. We talk increased about these aspects.

"We demonstrated this year we can experience difficult periods but suddenly, we produce three good games.

"We just need to be inside the match until the last moments. In the past, we could have lost everything based on how we played the game. Now, the feeling was different."

Doubt Lingers Regarding Prospects of Zirkzee and the midfielder

While this represented a occasion when United displayed their resilience, it was also a day that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly uncertain of their futures in Amorim's new-look squad.

In his pre-match press conference, the coach said it was possible players who think they are at risk of not making the World Cup will ask to leave in the winter transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and Mainoo fit into that category. The forward has managed less than two full games from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances this season. For Mainoo, the number is 138 from seven.

Not one has begun a league match this season 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 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a great deal of talent on the substitutes but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to disrupt the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt something," said Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my instinct was not to change the setup with the players in front."

The midfielder had a deal in progress to join the Italian club in the last days of the transfer period but United would not approve a transfer. Zirkzee was coming back from injury but is currently open to the idea of a move back to Serie A.

The situation is complicated by the loss of the winger and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the middle of December, a period which features a few weekday matches which will demand a level of rotation unseen before.

As the championship match is on 18 January, the pair should be returned well before the transfer window ends on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed resolution than any wantaway player would like.

"It is the characteristics of the game," said the coach, when asked specifically about the forward and the midfielder. "They know it's temporary.

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