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If you can't win, don't lose - as the proverb states.

Before their trip to Forest, Manchester United had gained merely 8 points from deficit situations with Ruben Amorim. They had not got any from the previous six matches when they trailed since the match to AFC Bournemouth last spring, when a last-minute goal secured a draw.

When they went down at the City Ground after conceding twice in a couple of minutes, as Forest overturned a contentious opening period opener, United were in serious trouble.

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

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

The answer was just as emphatic.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. However, we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by flashing home a sensational volleyed strike from just outside the box nine minutes from time to earn a point.

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

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

In this game, the manager felt his players showed they have got better at that as well.

"Previously, if we had this kind of poor short period and we suffered two goals, we don't recover," said the coach. "Today is a different sensation. You can sense we could not triumph in this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a mindset a big team sometimes has to have."

The manager didn't say it, but the arrival of the Brazilian forward and the winger likely contributed.

The attacker is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, quite the reverse indeed. In the first half, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they felt was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the epitome of a footballer who will never allow an rival a moment's peace.

The coach was asked exactly what had caused the psychological growth. Apart from saying the self-belief gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't provide an answer.

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

"We demonstrated this year we can have bad moments but suddenly, we have three good games.

"We just need to remain inside the game until the last moments. Previously, we could have lost everything the way we played the encounter. Today, the feeling was different."

Doubt Lingers Regarding Prospects of the striker and Mainoo

If this was a occasion when United showed their resilience, it was also a day that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their futures in Amorim's revamped Manchester United.

In his before the game media briefing, Amorim stated it was likely members of the squad who believe they are at risk of not making the international tournament will request transfers in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume the striker and the midfielder fit into that category. Zirkzee has accumulated less than two full games from his 4 Premier League cameo roles in the current campaign. For the young player, the number is over two hours from seven.

Neither has begun a league game this season and nor were they called upon to come off the bench at the stadium, as the team sought a way back into a game they were losing from the second half.

"We have a great deal of quality on the bench but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt something," explained the manager. "We were improving during the second half, so my feeling was to avoid altering anything with the players in attack."

The midfielder had a deal in place to join Napoli in the last days of the transfer period but the club would not approve a deal. Zirkzee was returning from a fitness issue but is currently open to the idea of a return to Serie A.

The situation is complicated by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a period which includes a couple of weekday matches which will require a level of rotation not previously needed.

Since the final is on 18 January, the duo should be returned well before the transfer window closes on February 2nd - which could result in a later outcome than any eager to leave individual would like.

"This is about the characteristics of the game," commented Amorim, when questioned specifically about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "The players understand it's only a phase.

"It isn't related to ability - and we have a many fixtures."