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If you can't win, don't lose - so the old saying goes.

Before their trip to Nottingham Forest, Manchester United had gained just 8 points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had not got a single point from the previous six games when they found themselves behind since the match to Bournemouth last spring, when a last-minute goal snatched a tie.

When they were behind at the stadium after conceding two goals in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest reversed a contentious first-half goal, United were staring down the barrel.

The question to the manager after his side recovered to draw could not have been any clearer.

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

The answer was equally decisive.

"Absolutely, and by a larger margin, I believe so."

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why Amorim picks him at defensive wing by flashing home a sensational first-time volley from just outside the box late in the game to earn a draw.

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

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

In this match, the manager believed his squad demonstrated they have improved at that too.

"In the past, if we had such a bad five minutes and we suffered two goals, we don't recover," stated the coach. "Now is a different sensation. It's evident we could not win the match but we are not going to lose. And that is a mindset a big team sometimes must possess."

Amorim didn't mention it, but the arrival of the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo likely contributed.

The attacker is not one to shy away from difficult situations, quite the reverse indeed. In the opening period, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they believed was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a constant threat, the epitome of a player who will not give an opponent a moment's peace.

The coach was asked precisely what had led to the mental improvement. Apart from mentioning the confidence generated from the previous three successive wins, he didn't provide an answer.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely changed," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a different assurance. The players comprehend each other more effectively. We communicate more about this.

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

"We just need to remain inside the game until the last moments. In the past, we could have collapsed completely based on how we played the encounter. Today, the feeling was different."

Doubt Remains Regarding Prospects of the striker and the midfielder

While this represented a occasion when United showed their fighting spirit, it was additionally a moment that must have left the Dutch forward and Kobbie Mainoo even more uncertain of their roles in the manager's revamped Manchester United.

In his pre-match press conference, the coach said it was possible members of the squad who think they are at danger of missing the World Cup will request transfers in the January signing period.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and the midfielder fall into that category. Zirkzee has accumulated less than two full games from his four Premier League substitute appearances this season. For the young player, the number is over two hours from seven.

Not one has begun a Premier League match so far and nor were they asked to come off the bench at the stadium, as the team chased a way back into a contest they were trailing in from the second half.

"Our squad includes a great deal of talent on the substitutes but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the flow all the time, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my instinct was to avoid altering anything with the players in attack."

The midfielder had a deal in progress to join the Italian club in the final stages of the summer window but United would not sanction a deal. The striker was returning from a fitness issue but is currently open to the possibility of a return to Serie A.

The circumstances is made more complex by the loss of the winger and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the middle of December, a time which includes a few midweek games which will demand a degree of squad changes unseen before.

Since the championship match is on January 18th, the duo are expected to be returned well before the transfer window ends on February 2nd - which could result in a later outcome than any wantaway individual would prefer.

"It is the characteristics of the game," said the coach, when asked specifically about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's just a moment.

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