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When you cannot win, avoid defeat - as the proverb states.

Before their journey to Forest, Man Utd had secured only eight points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six matches when they were losing since the trip to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute effort snatched a draw.

When they were behind at the City Ground after letting in twice in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest reversed a controversial first-half opener, United were facing defeat.

The inquiry to Amorim after his side recovered to tie could not have been any clearer.

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

The answer was just as forceful.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. However, we do know that Amad Diallo showed why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by scoring a spectacular first-time volley from near the edge of the penalty area late in the game to secure a point.

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

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

In this match, Amorim felt his squad showed they have got better at that too.

"Previously, if we had such a poor short period and we suffered two goals, we wouldn't bounce back," said the coach. "Today is a different feeling. You can sense we could not win the match but we are not going to lose. And that is a feeling a major club occasionally must possess."

The manager didn't mention it, but the arrival of the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo must have helped.

The attacker is not one to shy away from difficult situations, quite the reverse in fact. In the first half, when he was booed by the local supporters for what they believed was his tactical play, he responded - instead of ignoring them - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

The forward is a hustle-bustle menace, the epitome of a footballer who will never allow an rival a moment's peace.

The coach was asked precisely what had caused the psychological growth. Beyond mentioning the self-belief generated from the prior three successive wins, he didn't really give an answer.

"The confidence, of course, is completely different," he said. "Following three good games and we have a different confidence. The players comprehend each other better. We communicate increased about this.

"We proved this season we can have bad moments but suddenly, we produce three strong performances.

"It's essential to remain inside the match until the final 10 minutes. Previously, we could have lost everything the way we performed in the game. Now, the feeling was different."

Uncertainty Lingers Regarding Prospects of the striker and the midfielder

If this was a occasion when the team showed their resilience, it was also a moment that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly uncertain of their roles in Amorim's new-look squad.

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

It is fair to assume the striker and Mainoo fit into that bracket. The forward has managed 82 minutes from his 4 Premier League substitute appearances in the current campaign. For Mainoo, the number is over two hours from seven.

Neither has begun a league game so far and neither were they asked to be substituted on at the City Ground, as United chased a way back into a contest they were losing from the 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a great deal of talent on the bench but at times I have the impression if I'm going to stop the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt the rhythm," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the second half, so my feeling was not to change anything with the guys in front."

Mainoo had a deal in place to join the Italian club in the last days of the summer window but the club would not sanction a deal. The striker was coming back from a fitness issue but is now considering the idea of a return to Italy.

The circumstances is complicated by the absence of Mbeumo and Amad to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a period which features a couple of 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 long before the transfer window closes on February 2nd - which could result in a later resolution than what wantaway player would like.

"It is the demands of the game," said the coach, when questioned specifically about the forward and Mainoo. "They know it's temporary.

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