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When you cannot win, avoid defeat - according to traditional wisdom.

Prior to their journey to Forest, Man Utd had secured merely eight points from deficit situations with Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six matches when they were losing since the match to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute goal snatched a tie.

When they were behind at the stadium after letting in two goals in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest overturned a contentious opening period opener, United were in serious trouble.

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

Had that match occurred last season, do you believe you would have lost it?'

The response was equally decisive.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why Amorim selects him at wing-back by flashing home a spectacular volleyed strike from just outside the penalty area late in the game to secure a point.

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

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

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

"In the past, if we had this kind of bad short period and we conceded a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said Amorim. "Now 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."

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

The attacker is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, on the contrary in fact. In the opening period, when he was booed by the local supporters for what they felt was his gamesmanship, he reacted - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the perfect example of a footballer who will not give an opponent any rest.

Amorim was asked precisely what had led to the mental improvement. Apart from saying the self-belief gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely different," he said. "Following three good games and we have a different confidence. We understand each other more effectively. We talk increased about these aspects.

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

"We just need to be engaged in the game until the final 10 minutes. In the past, we could have collapsed completely based on how we performed in the encounter. Now, the impression was different."

Doubt Remains Regarding Futures of the striker and Mainoo

If this was a occasion when the team showed their fighting spirit, it was additionally a day that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their futures in the manager's new-look squad.

In his before the game press conference, Amorim stated it was likely players who believe they are at risk of not making the World Cup will request transfers in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume the striker and the midfielder fall into that bracket. Zirkzee has managed less than two full games from his four Premier League substitute appearances this season. For Mainoo, the total is 138 from 7.

Neither has begun a league match this season and neither were they asked to come off the bench at the City Ground, as the team sought a way back into a game they were trailing in from the 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a great deal of quality on the bench but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to stop the flow constantly, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained Amorim. "We were improving during the second half, so my instinct was to avoid altering anything with the guys in attack."

The midfielder had a agreement in progress to join Napoli in the last days of the summer window but the club would not approve a deal. The striker was returning from injury but is now open to the idea of a move back to Italy.

The circumstances is made more complex by the loss of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the middle of December, a time which includes a few weekday matches which will require a degree of rotation not previously needed.

As the championship match is on 18 January, the pair are expected to be returned long before the transfer window closes on 2 February - which may mean a delayed outcome than what wantaway player would like.

"It is the characteristics of the sport," said Amorim, when asked specifically about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "They know it's temporary.

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