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

Before their journey to Forest, Man Utd had earned only 8 points from deficit situations under their manager. They had failed to secure any from the past six games when they were losing since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last spring, when a late effort snatched a draw.

When they were behind at the stadium after conceding two goals in a couple of minutes, as Forest overturned a controversial first-half opener, Manchester United were facing defeat.

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

'If that game happened last season, do you feel it would have ended in defeat?'

The response was just as emphatic.

"Yes, and by more goals, in my opinion."

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why the coach selects him at wing-back by flashing home a brilliant first-time volley from near the edge of the box late in the game to earn a draw.

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

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

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 conceded a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said the coach. "Now is a distinct sensation. You can sense we could not triumph in this game but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a big team occasionally has to have."

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

The attacker is not the type to retreat from difficult situations, quite the reverse indeed. In the first half, when he was booed by the home fans for what they felt was his tactical play, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

Mbeumo is a hustle-bustle menace, the epitome of a player who will never allow an rival any rest.

Amorim was asked exactly what had led to the mental improvement. Beyond mentioning the self-belief generated from the previous three consecutive victories, he didn't really give an explanation.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely different," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a different assurance. We understand one another better. We talk more about these aspects.

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

"It's essential to be inside the game until the final 10 minutes. In the past, we could have collapsed completely based on how we played the encounter. Now, the impression was different."

Uncertainty Remains Regarding Futures of Zirkzee and Mainoo

While this represented a day when the team showed their fighting spirit, it was additionally a day that must have left the Dutch forward and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their roles in the manager's revamped squad.

In his pre-match press conference, Amorim stated it was likely players who believe they are at risk of missing the international tournament will ask to leave in the winter signing period.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and the midfielder fall into that bracket. Zirkzee has accumulated 82 minutes from his four Premier League substitute appearances in the current campaign. For the young player, the number is 138 from 7.

Not one has begun a Premier League match so far and nor were they asked to come off the bench at the City Ground, as United sought a route to recovery into a contest they were losing from the 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a great deal of talent on the substitutes but at times I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the flow all the time, I'm going to break the rhythm," explained Amorim. "We were improving during the later stages, so my feeling was not to change anything with the players in front."

Mainoo had a deal in progress to move to Napoli in the last days of the transfer period but United would not approve a deal. The striker was returning from injury but is currently considering the idea of a move back to Italy.

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

Since the championship match is on January 18th, the duo should be back long before the transfer window ends on 2 February - which may mean a later outcome than any wantaway individual would like.

"It is the characteristics of the sport," commented Amorim, when asked specifically about the forward and Mainoo. "The players understand it's only a phase.

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