{'A Different Vibe' - Have Man Utd Exhibited a Mentality Change?

When you cannot win, avoid defeat - according to traditional wisdom.

Prior to their journey to Forest, Manchester United had gained merely 8 points from losing positions under their manager. They had failed to secure any from the past six matches when they found themselves behind since the trip to Bournemouth last April, when a late goal snatched a draw.

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

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

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

The response was just as forceful.

"Absolutely, and by a larger margin, that is my feeling."

It's impossible to determine the actual outcome. What we do know that Amad Diallo showed why Amorim picks him at defensive wing by flashing home a sensational first-time volley from just outside the penalty area late in the game to secure a draw.

It's been clear since the start of the campaign that United are playing better this season. Since the start of autumn, they have also been achieving more positive outcomes.

The determination, the desire, the unwillingness to surrender are intangibles.

In this match, the manager felt his players showed they have improved at that too.

"Previously, if we had this kind of poor short period and we suffered two goals, we wouldn't bounce back," stated Amorim. "Now is a distinct sensation. You can sense we could not triumph in the match but we are determined not to be defeated. And that is a mindset a big team occasionally must possess."

The manager didn't say it, but the addition of the Brazilian forward and the winger likely contributed.

The attacker is not the type to retreat from difficult situations, on the contrary in fact. In the first half, when he was jeered by the home fans for what they felt was his tactical play, he reacted - instead of ignoring them - pointing to the crest on his shorts.

The forward is a hustle-bustle menace, the perfect example of a footballer who will never allow an opponent any rest.

The coach was questioned exactly what had caused the psychological growth. Apart from saying the confidence gained from the prior three consecutive victories, he didn't really give an answer.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is completely different," he said. "We came from three good games and we have a newfound confidence. The players comprehend one another better. We communicate increased about this.

"We proved this season we can have bad moments but then, we produce three strong performances.

"We just need to remain inside the game until the last moments. In the past, we could have lost everything the way we performed in the game. Today, the feeling was different."

Doubt Remains Over Prospects of the striker and the midfielder

If this was a occasion when the team showed their resilience, it was also a day that likely created the Dutch forward and the young midfielder even more uncertain of their futures in the manager's new-look Manchester United.

In his pre-match press conference, the coach said it was possible members of the squad who think they are at danger of not making the World Cup will request transfers in the January transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude the striker and Mainoo fall into that category. The forward has managed less than two full games from his four Premier League substitute appearances this season. For the young player, the number is 138 from seven.

Not one has begun a league game so far and nor were they called upon to come off the bench at the City Ground, as United sought a route to recovery into a game they were trailing in from the 50th minute.

"We have a lot of quality on the substitutes but at times I have the impression if I'm going to disrupt the game constantly, I'm going to break the rhythm," said the manager. "We were improving during the later stages, so my instinct was not to change anything with the guys in front."

The midfielder had a deal in place to move to Napoli in the last days of the transfer period but the club would not sanction a transfer. Zirkzee was returning from a fitness issue but is currently considering the idea of a move back to Serie A.

The circumstances is complicated by the loss of Mbeumo and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the midst of the winter, a time which features a few weekday matches which will require a degree of rotation not previously needed.

Since the final is on January 18th, the duo should be returned long before the signing period ends on February 2nd - which could result in a later outcome than any wantaway individual would like.

"This is about the demands of the game," commented Amorim, when asked specifically about the forward and the midfielder. "They know it's just a moment.

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