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

Prior to their journey to Forest, Man Utd had earned just eight points from deficit situations with their manager. They had failed to secure any from the past six matches when they found themselves behind since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a late effort snatched a tie.

When they went down at the stadium after letting in two goals in a short span, as Nottingham Forest reversed a controversial first-half opener, Manchester United were facing defeat.

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

'If that game occurred last season, do you believe you would have lost it?'

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 showed why Amorim picks him at wing-back by scoring a brilliant volleyed strike from near the edge of the penalty area nine minutes from time to secure a draw.

It's been clear since the beginning of the campaign that Manchester United are playing better this term. Since the beginning of October, they have also been getting better results.

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

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

"Previously, if we had such a bad five minutes and we conceded two goals, we don't recover," said the coach. "Today is a distinct feeling. You can sense we could not win the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a feeling a big team sometimes has to have."

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

Cunha is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, actually the opposite indeed. In the opening period, when he was booed by the local supporters for what they felt was his gamesmanship, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the crest on his shorts.

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

Amorim was questioned exactly what had caused the psychological growth. Beyond mentioning the self-belief gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't provide an answer.

"The confidence, of course, is completely different," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a different confidence. We understand each other better. We communicate more about these aspects.

"We demonstrated this season we can have bad moments but then, we have three good games.

"It's essential to be inside the match until the final 10 minutes. Previously, we could have lost everything based on how we played the encounter. Now, the impression was not that one."

Uncertainty Remains Over Futures of the striker and Mainoo

If this was a day when United displayed their resilience, it was also a day that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder even more unsure of their futures in Amorim's new-look Manchester United.

In his pre-match media briefing, the coach said it was likely players who think they are at danger of not making the World Cup will request transfers in the winter signing period.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and Mainoo fall into that bracket. Zirkzee has accumulated less than two full games from his four Premier League cameo roles in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the total is over two hours from 7.

Not one has begun a league game so far and nor were they asked to be substituted on at the stadium, as United sought a route to recovery into a contest they were trailing in from the second half.

"We have a great deal of quality on the substitutes but sometimes I have the impression if I'm going to stop the flow constantly, I'm going to break something," said the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my feeling was not to change the setup with the guys in attack."

The midfielder had a deal in progress to join Napoli in the last days of the summer window but United would not sanction a deal. The striker was returning from a fitness issue but is now open to the idea of a return to Italy.

The situation is made more complex by the absence of Mbeumo and Amad to the continental tournament in the midst of the winter, a time which includes a few weekday matches which will require a degree of rotation not previously needed.

Since the final is on 18 January, the duo should be back well before the signing period ends on February 2nd - which could result in a delayed outcome than any eager to leave player would like.

"This is about the characteristics of the sport," commented Amorim, when asked directly about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "They know it's only a phase.

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