🔗 Share this article

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

Before their journey to Forest, Manchester United had earned merely eight points from deficit situations with Ruben Amorim. They had not got any from the previous six matches when they found themselves behind since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last spring, when a late effort snatched a tie.

When they went down at the City Ground after conceding two goals in a couple of minutes, as Forest overturned a contentious first-half goal, Manchester United were facing defeat.

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

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

The answer was just as decisive.

"Yes, and by a larger margin, in my opinion."

We can never know the reality. However, we do know that Amad Diallo demonstrated why the coach selects him at defensive wing by scoring a spectacular first-time volley from just outside the box nine minutes from time to earn a point.

It has been obvious since the start of the season that Manchester United are playing better this term. Since the beginning of October, they have additionally been getting better results.

The determination, the will, the unwillingness to surrender are unquantifiables.

In this match, Amorim believed his squad demonstrated they have improved at that as well.

"In the past, if we had this kind of poor five minutes and we suffered a couple of goals, we don't recover," said the coach. "Today is a different feeling. You can sense we might not triumph in this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a feeling a major club occasionally has to have."

Amorim didn't mention it, but the addition of the Brazilian forward and the winger likely contributed.

The attacker 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 felt was his gamesmanship, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the badge on his kit.

The forward is a energetic nuisance, the perfect example of a footballer who will not give an rival a moment's peace.

The coach was questioned exactly what had caused the mental improvement. Beyond mentioning the self-belief generated from the prior three successive wins, he didn't really give an explanation.

"The confidence, naturally, is completely changed," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a different assurance. The players comprehend each other better. We talk more about this.

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

"We just need to be inside the game until the last moments. Previously, we could have collapsed completely the way we performed in the game. Now, the feeling was different."

Doubt Lingers Over Futures of the striker and the midfielder

If this was a occasion when the team showed their fighting spirit, it was additionally a moment that likely created the Dutch forward and Kobbie Mainoo increasingly unsure of their futures in the manager's revamped Manchester United.

In his pre-match press conference, the coach stated it was likely players who think they are at risk of not making the World Cup will ask to leave in the winter transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude Zirkzee and Mainoo fall into that category. Zirkzee has accumulated 82 minutes from his 4 Premier League cameo roles in the current campaign. For the young player, the number is 138 from 7.

Not one has started a Premier League match this season and nor were they asked to be substituted on at the City Ground, as United sought a way back into a game they were losing from the second half.

"We have a lot of quality on the bench but at times I have the feeling if I'm going to disrupt the flow all the time, I'm going to break something," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my feeling was not to change the setup with the guys in front."

Mainoo had a deal in place to move to Napoli in the final stages of the summer window but the club would not approve a deal. The striker was returning from a fitness issue but is currently considering the possibility of a return to Serie A.

The circumstances is complicated by the loss of the winger and Amad to the continental tournament in the middle of December, a time which includes a couple of weekday matches which will require a degree of squad changes not previously needed.

Since the championship match is on January 18th, the duo should be returned well before the signing period closes on February 2nd - which may mean a delayed resolution than any eager to leave individual would prefer.

"It is the characteristics of the game," commented the coach, when questioned specifically about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "They know it's just a moment.

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