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

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had earned only eight points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six games when they trailed since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute goal secured a tie.

When they found themselves trailing at the stadium after letting in two goals in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest reversed a controversial first-half opener, Manchester United were in serious trouble.

The question to the manager after his side fought back to draw could not have been more straightforward.

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

The answer was just as emphatic.

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

It's impossible to determine the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo showed why Amorim picks him at defensive wing by scoring a brilliant volleyed strike from near the edge of the box nine minutes from time to secure a point.

It has been obvious since the beginning of the campaign that United are performing at a higher level this term. Since the start of autumn, they have additionally been achieving more positive outcomes.

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

In this game, Amorim believed his players demonstrated they have got better at that too.

"Previously, if we had such a poor five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we don't recover," stated Amorim. "Now is a distinct sensation. You can sense we could not triumph in this game 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 the winger must have helped.

Cunha is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, quite the reverse indeed. In the first half, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - pointing to the badge on his kit.

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

The coach was asked precisely what had led to the psychological growth. Apart from saying the confidence generated from the prior three successive wins, he didn't really give an answer.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely changed," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a different confidence. We understand one another more effectively. We communicate more about this.

"We proved this season we can experience bad moments but then, we produce three good games.

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

Uncertainty Lingers Over Futures of Zirkzee and the midfielder

If this was a occasion when United showed their resilience, it was additionally a moment that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their roles in Amorim's revamped squad.

In his pre-match press conference, Amorim stated it was possible members of the squad who believe they are at danger of not making the international tournament will request transfers in the winter transfer window.

It is fair to assume the striker and the midfielder fit into that category. The forward has managed 82 minutes from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the total is 138 from seven.

Neither has started a league match so far and nor were they called upon to be substituted on at the City Ground, as United chased a route to recovery into a game they were trailing in from the second half.

"Our squad includes a lot of talent on the bench but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to stop the flow constantly, I'm going to interrupt something," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in front."

Mainoo had a agreement in progress to join the Italian club in the last days of the transfer period but United would not approve a transfer. The striker was coming back from injury but is currently considering the possibility of a return to Serie A.

The circumstances is made more complex by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the midst of December, a period which features a few weekday matches which will demand a level of squad changes not previously needed.

Since the final is on 18 January, the pair should be back long before the signing period closes on 2 February - which may mean a delayed resolution than any wantaway player would prefer.

"It is the characteristics of the sport," said the coach, when questioned directly about the forward and the midfielder. "The players understand it's just a moment.

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