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When you cannot win, don't lose - as the proverb states.

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had secured merely 8 points from losing positions under Ruben Amorim. They had not got a single point from the previous six matches when they were losing since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute goal secured a draw.

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

The inquiry to Amorim after his side fought back to draw could not have been more straightforward.

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

The answer was equally decisive.

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

We can never know the reality. What we do know that the young player demonstrated why the coach selects him at wing-back by scoring a spectacular first-time volley from near the edge of the box nine minutes from time to earn a point.

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

The determination, the desire, the unwillingness to surrender are unquantifiables.

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

"In the past, if we had this kind of poor five minutes and we suffered two goals, we wouldn't bounce back," stated Amorim. "Now is a distinct sensation. It's evident we might not triumph in this game but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a major club sometimes must possess."

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

Cunha is not one to shy away from difficult situations, actually the opposite indeed. In the opening period, when he was booed by the local supporters for what they felt was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - pointing to the badge on his kit.

Mbeumo is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a footballer who will not give an opponent any rest.

Amorim was asked exactly what had led to the mental improvement. Beyond saying the self-belief gained from the prior three successive wins, he didn't provide an answer.

"Our self-belief, of course, is totally different," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a different confidence. The players comprehend each other more effectively. We talk increased about these aspects.

"We demonstrated this year we can have difficult periods but then, we produce three strong performances.

"It's essential to remain inside the match until the final 10 minutes. In the past, we could have lost everything the way we performed in the game. Today, the impression was not that one."

Uncertainty Lingers Over Prospects of Zirkzee and the midfielder

If this was a day when United displayed their fighting spirit, it was also a day that likely created the Dutch forward and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their roles in the manager's revamped squad.

In his pre-match media briefing, Amorim said it was likely members of the squad who think they are at risk of not making the international tournament will ask to leave in the winter signing period.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and the midfielder fit into that bracket. The forward has accumulated 82 minutes from his four Premier League substitute appearances this season. For the young player, the number is over two hours from 7.

Neither has started a Premier League match this season and neither were they asked to be substituted on at the City Ground, as United sought a way back into a contest they were losing from the 50th minute.

"We have a great deal of quality on the substitutes but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to disrupt the game all the time, I'm going to break the rhythm," said Amorim. "We were improving during the second half, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in attack."

Mainoo had a agreement in place to move to the Italian club in the final stages of the summer window but the club would not approve a transfer. Zirkzee was returning from injury but is currently open to the idea of a move back to Serie A.

The situation is made more complex by the loss of the winger and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a time which features a couple of midweek games which will require a degree of squad changes unseen before.

As the championship match is on January 18th, the duo should be back long before the signing period closes on February 2nd - which could result in a later resolution than any eager to leave player would like.

"It is the demands of the game," commented Amorim, when questioned directly about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "They know it's temporary.

"It's nothing to do with quality - and we have a many games."