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

Before their visit to Forest, Man Utd had gained only eight points from deficit situations under Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six matches when they found themselves behind since the match to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute effort snatched a tie.

When they went down at the City Ground after letting in twice in a short span, as Nottingham Forest overturned a controversial first-half goal, Manchester United were facing defeat.

The question to Amorim after his side recovered to tie could not have been more direct.

'If that game happened the previous campaign, do you feel it would have ended in defeat?'

The answer was just as decisive.

"Yes, and by more goals, that is my feeling."

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player showed why Amorim selects him at wing-back by scoring a sensational volleyed strike from just outside the box nine minutes from time to secure a draw.

It has been obvious since the beginning of the season that Manchester United are playing better this term. Since the start of autumn, they have additionally been achieving more positive outcomes.

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

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

"In the past, if we had this kind of poor short period and we suffered a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said Amorim. "Now is a distinct feeling. It's evident we might not win this game but we are not going to lose. And that is a feeling a big team occasionally must possess."

Amorim didn't mention it, but the signing of the Brazilian forward and the winger likely contributed.

Cunha is not one to shy away from difficult situations, on the contrary in fact. In the opening period, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they felt was his gamesmanship, he responded - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the crest on his kit.

Mbeumo is a constant threat, the epitome of a player who will never allow an opponent a moment's peace.

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

"Our self-belief, of course, is completely different," he stated. "Following three good games and we have a different confidence. The players comprehend each other better. We talk increased about these aspects.

"We proved this year we can experience difficult periods but then, we have three good games.

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

Uncertainty Lingers Over Futures of the striker and Mainoo

If this was a day when United showed their resilience, it was also a moment that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly unsure of their futures in Amorim's revamped squad.

In his pre-match press conference, Amorim said it was possible players who think they are at danger of not making the international tournament will request transfers in the winter signing period.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and the midfielder fit into that category. The forward has accumulated 82 minutes from his four Premier League cameo roles in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is over two hours from 7.

Neither has begun a Premier League match this season and neither were they called upon to come off the bench at the City Ground, as the team sought a way back into a contest they were losing from the second half.

"Our squad includes a lot of quality on the substitutes but at times I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the flow all the time, I'm going to interrupt something," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my instinct was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in attack."

Mainoo had a deal in progress to join Napoli in the last days of the summer window but the club would not sanction a deal. Zirkzee was returning from a fitness issue but is currently considering the possibility of a move back to Serie A.

The situation is complicated by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the midst of December, a time which features a couple of midweek games which will require a level of rotation unseen before.

Since the final is on January 18th, the pair should be back long before the transfer window closes on 2 February - which could result in a later outcome than what wantaway player would like.

"It is the demands of the game," said Amorim, when questioned specifically about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "They know it's only a phase.

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