🔗 Share this article

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

Before their visit to Nottingham Forest, Man Utd had secured merely 8 points from losing positions with their manager. They had not got any from the previous six matches when they were losing since the match to Bournemouth last spring, when a late goal snatched a tie.

When they found themselves trailing at the stadium after letting in two goals in a couple of minutes, as Forest overturned a contentious first-half opener, Manchester United were in serious trouble.

The inquiry to Amorim after his side fought back to draw could not have been more direct.

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

The answer was equally emphatic.

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

It's impossible to determine the reality. However, we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why the coach selects him at defensive wing by scoring a sensational first-time volley from near the edge of the penalty area late in the game to secure a point.

It has been obvious since the start of the season that United are performing at a higher level 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 as well.

"Previously, if we had such a bad short period and we conceded a couple of goals, we wouldn't bounce back," stated the coach. "Now is a different feeling. It's evident we could not win the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And this represents a mindset a major club sometimes must possess."

The manager didn't mention it, but the addition of Matheus Cunha and the winger must have helped.

Cunha is not one to shy away from challenging circumstances, quite the reverse in fact. In the first half, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they felt was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a hustle-bustle menace, the epitome of a footballer who will not give an opponent any rest.

Amorim was questioned exactly what had led to the psychological growth. Beyond saying the self-belief gained from the prior three successive wins, he didn't really give an answer.

"The confidence, of course, is totally different," he said. "We came from three positive performances and we have a different assurance. The players comprehend one another better. We communicate increased about these aspects.

"We proved this year we can experience difficult periods but then, we produce three good games.

"It's essential to remain engaged in the game until the final 10 minutes. In the past, we could have collapsed completely the way we performed in the encounter. Now, the feeling was not that one."

Uncertainty Remains Over Futures of Zirkzee and the midfielder

If this was a day when the team showed their fighting spirit, it was also a moment that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their roles in the manager's revamped Manchester United.

In his before the game press conference, the coach stated it was possible players who think they are at risk of not making the international tournament will request transfers in the January transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude Zirkzee and Mainoo fall into that category. Zirkzee has accumulated less than two full games from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances in the current campaign. For the young player, the number is over two hours from 7.

Neither has started a Premier League game this season and neither were they called upon 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 quality on the substitutes but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the game constantly, I'm going to interrupt something," explained the manager. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the guys in front."

Mainoo had a agreement in place to join the Italian club in the last days of the transfer period but United would not approve a transfer. Zirkzee was returning from injury but is now considering the possibility of a return to Italy.

The situation is made more complex by the loss of Mbeumo and Amad to the continental tournament in the midst of December, a time which includes a few midweek games which will demand a degree of rotation not previously needed.

Since the final is on January 18th, the duo should be back well before the transfer window closes on 2 February - which may mean a delayed outcome than what eager to leave player would like.

"It is the demands of the game," said Amorim, when questioned directly about the forward and the midfielder. "They know it's only a phase.

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