🔗 Share this article

If you can't win, don't lose - so the old saying goes.

Before their visit to Forest, Man Utd had gained merely 8 points from losing positions with Ruben Amorim. They had not got a single point from the past six games when they trailed since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last spring, when a late goal snatched a tie.

When they went down at the stadium after conceding twice in a couple of minutes, as Nottingham Forest overturned a controversial first-half opener, United were staring down the barrel.

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

Had that match happened the previous campaign, do you feel you would have lost it?'

The response was equally forceful.

"Absolutely, and by more goals, I believe so."

It's impossible to determine the reality. What we do know that the young player showed why Amorim selects him at defensive wing by scoring a sensational first-time volley from just outside the penalty area nine minutes from time to earn a draw.

It's been clear since the start of the campaign that United are performing at a higher level this season. Since the beginning of autumn, they have also been getting better results.

The determination, the will, the refusal to give in are intangibles.

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

"Previously, if we had such a bad short period and we suffered two goals, we don't recover," stated Amorim. "Now is a distinct feeling. It's evident we might not win this game but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a major club sometimes has to have."

The manager didn't mention it, but the signing of Matheus Cunha and the winger probably made a difference.

Cunha is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, quite the reverse in fact. In the opening period, when he was jeered 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.

The forward is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a footballer who will not give an rival a moment's peace.

The coach was asked precisely what had led to the mental improvement. Beyond mentioning the confidence gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't provide an explanation.

"Our self-belief, of course, is totally different," he said. "Following three good games and we have a newfound assurance. The players comprehend one another more effectively. We communicate increased about these aspects.

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

"It's essential to be inside the match until the last moments. In the past, we could have lost everything based on how we performed in the encounter. Now, the impression was different."

Doubt Lingers Over Prospects of Zirkzee 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 unsure of their roles in the manager's revamped Manchester United.

In his before the game media briefing, the coach said 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 Zirkzee and the midfielder fit into that bracket. Zirkzee has accumulated 82 minutes from his 4 Premier League substitute appearances this season. For the young player, the total is 138 from 7.

Neither has started a Premier League game this season and neither were they called upon to be substituted on at the stadium, as United sought a way back into a game they were trailing in from the second half.

"We have a great deal of quality on the bench but at times I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the flow all the time, I'm going to interrupt something," said Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my instinct was to avoid altering anything with the players in attack."

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. Zirkzee was returning from injury but is currently considering the idea of a return to Italy.

The situation is made more complex by the loss of the winger and Amad to the continental tournament in the midst of December, a time which includes a few weekday matches which will require a level of squad changes unseen before.

As the final is on January 18th, the pair are expected to be back long before the transfer window ends on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed outcome than what wantaway player would like.

"This is about the characteristics of the sport," said the coach, when questioned specifically about the forward and the midfielder. "The players understand it's temporary.

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