🔗 Share this article

When you cannot triumph, don't lose - as the proverb states.

Before their journey to Forest, Man Utd had secured just eight points from deficit situations with their manager. They had failed to secure a single point from the past six games when they were losing since the match to AFC Bournemouth last spring, when a late effort snatched a draw.

When they went down at the stadium after conceding two goals in a short span, as Nottingham Forest reversed a disputed first-half goal, Manchester United were facing defeat.

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

'If that game occurred the previous campaign, do you feel you would have lost it?'

The answer was just as emphatic.

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

We can never know the reality. What we do know that the young player showed why the coach picks him at wing-back by scoring a spectacular first-time volley from just outside the box late in the game to secure 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 determination, the desire, the unwillingness to surrender are unquantifiables.

In this game, Amorim felt his squad demonstrated they have improved at that too.

"Previously, if we had this kind of bad short period and we conceded a couple of goals, we don't recover," stated Amorim. "Now is a different sensation. You can sense we might not triumph in the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a feeling a big team occasionally has to have."

Amorim didn't say it, but the signing of Matheus Cunha and the winger must have helped.

The attacker is not one to shy away from difficult situations, actually the opposite indeed. In the first half, when he was booed by the local supporters for what they felt was his gamesmanship, he responded - instead of ignoring them - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the epitome of a player who will never allow an opponent any rest.

The coach was questioned precisely what had caused the mental improvement. Beyond mentioning the self-belief generated from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't provide an explanation.

"Our self-belief, of course, is completely different," he said. "Following three positive performances and we have a different assurance. The players comprehend one another more effectively. We communicate more about this.

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

"We just need to be inside the game until the final 10 minutes. Previously, we could have lost everything based on how we played the game. Now, the impression was different."

Doubt Remains Regarding Futures of the striker and Mainoo

While this represented a day when United displayed their resilience, it was also a day that likely created Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder even more uncertain of their roles in the manager's revamped squad.

In his before the game press conference, Amorim stated it was possible members of the squad who believe they are at danger of missing the international tournament will ask to leave in the January signing period.

It is fair to assume Zirkzee and the midfielder fall into that bracket. The forward has accumulated 82 minutes from his four Premier League cameo roles in the current campaign. For the young player, the number is 138 from 7.

Not one has started a league game this season and neither were they called upon to come off the bench at the stadium, as United chased a route to recovery into a contest they were losing from the second half.

"We have a great deal of talent on the bench 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," said the manager. "We were improving during the later stages, so my feeling was not to change anything with the guys in front."

The midfielder had a agreement in progress to join Napoli in the final stages of the summer window but the club would not sanction a transfer. Zirkzee was coming back from injury but is currently considering the idea of a return to Italy.

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

As the final is on 18 January, the duo are expected to be returned long before the transfer window ends on 2 February - which may mean a later outcome than what wantaway individual would like.

"This is about the characteristics of the sport," said Amorim, when asked directly about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "The players understand it's only a phase.

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