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If you can't win, avoid defeat - so the old saying goes.

Prior to their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had secured only eight points from losing positions under Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure a single point from the past six matches when they were losing since the trip to Bournemouth last April, when a last-minute goal snatched a draw.

When they were behind at the stadium after conceding two goals in a couple of minutes, as Forest reversed a disputed opening period opener, Manchester United were facing defeat.

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

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

The answer was equally emphatic.

"Absolutely, and by more goals, that is my feeling."

It's impossible to determine the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player showed why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by scoring a brilliant volleyed strike from just outside the penalty area late in the game to earn a draw.

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

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

In this match, Amorim believed his players demonstrated they have improved 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," stated the coach. "Today is a different feeling. You can sense we might not win the match but we are not going to lose. And that is a feeling a big team sometimes must possess."

Amorim didn't say it, but the addition of the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo probably made a difference.

Cunha is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, on the contrary indeed. In the first half, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his tactical play, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - gesturing toward the crest on his shorts.

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 exactly what had caused the mental improvement. Apart from saying the self-belief gained from the previous three successive wins, he didn't really give an explanation.

"The confidence, of course, is totally different," he said. "Following three positive performances and we have a newfound confidence. We understand one another more effectively. We communicate more about these aspects.

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

"It's essential to be inside the match until the final 10 minutes. In the past, we could have lost everything the way we performed in the encounter. Now, the impression was different."

Uncertainty Remains Over Futures of the striker and Mainoo

If this was a day when United showed their resilience, it was additionally a day that likely created the Dutch forward and the young midfielder increasingly uncertain of their roles in the manager's new-look Manchester United.

In his pre-match press conference, the coach stated it was likely members of the squad who believe 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 the midfielder fit into that category. The forward has managed 82 minutes from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances in the current campaign. For the young player, the number is over two hours from seven.

Not one has begun a Premier League game this season and neither were they asked to be substituted on at the stadium, as United chased a way back into a game they were losing from the 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a lot of talent on the bench but at times I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the flow constantly, I'm going to break the rhythm," said the manager. "We were improving during the second half, so my instinct was not to change anything with the players in front."

Mainoo had a agreement in progress to move to the Italian club in the final stages of the transfer period but the club would not sanction a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from a fitness issue but is currently considering the idea of a move back to Serie A.

The circumstances is made more complex by the absence of Mbeumo and Amad to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the winter, a period which includes a couple of midweek games which will require a degree of squad changes not previously needed.

As the championship match is on 18 January, the pair should be returned long before the transfer window ends on 2 February - which could result in a delayed resolution than any wantaway player would like.

"It is the demands of the sport," commented Amorim, when asked directly about the forward and Mainoo. "They know it's temporary.

"It isn't related to quality - and we have a lot of games."