{'A Different Feeling' - Did Manchester United Demonstrated a Attitude Change?

If you can't triumph, don't lose - according to traditional wisdom.

Before their journey to Forest, Manchester United had earned just eight points from losing positions under Ruben Amorim. They had failed to secure any from the previous six games when they were losing since the trip to Bournemouth last spring, when a last-minute effort secured a draw.

When they found themselves trailing at the stadium after conceding twice in a short span, as Forest overturned a controversial first-half goal, Manchester United were staring down the barrel.

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

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

The response was just as decisive.

"Yes, and by a larger margin, I believe so."

We can never know the actual outcome. What we do know that the young player demonstrated why Amorim picks him at wing-back by scoring a spectacular volleyed strike from near the edge of the box nine minutes from time to earn a point.

It's been clear since the start of the campaign that Manchester United are performing at a higher level this season. Since the start of October, they have also been achieving more positive outcomes.

The resolve, the will, the unwillingness to surrender are intangibles.

In this match, the manager believed his squad demonstrated 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," said the coach. "Now is a different feeling. You can sense we could not triumph in this game but we are not going to lose. And this represents a mindset a big team occasionally must possess."

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

The attacker is not one to shy away from difficult situations, actually the opposite in fact. In the opening period, when he was booed by the home fans for what they believed was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the badge on his shorts.

The forward is a constant threat, the epitome of a footballer who will not give an opponent any rest.

Amorim was asked precisely what had caused the psychological growth. Beyond saying the self-belief gained from the previous three successive wins, he didn't provide an explanation.

"Our self-belief, of course, is completely changed," he said. "We came from three good games and we have a different confidence. We understand one another more effectively. We talk increased about this.

"We proved this season we can experience difficult periods but then, we have three strong performances.

"It's essential to remain engaged in the match until the last moments. Previously, we could have collapsed completely the way we played the game. Now, the impression was different."

Doubt Lingers Over Futures of the striker and Mainoo

While this represented a day when United showed their fighting spirit, it was also a day that likely created the Dutch forward and the young midfielder even more unsure of their roles in the manager's revamped squad.

In his before the game media briefing, the coach stated it was likely members of the squad who think they are at risk of not making the World Cup will request transfers in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume the striker and Mainoo fall into that category. The forward has accumulated 82 minutes from his 4 top-flight substitute appearances this season. For Mainoo, the number is over two hours from seven.

Neither has begun a league match this season and nor were they asked to come off the bench at the City Ground, as the team chased a route to recovery into a contest they were losing from the second half.

"Our squad includes a lot of talent on the substitutes but at times I have the impression if I'm going to stop the game all the time, I'm going to break something," explained the manager. "We were improving during the later stages, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the players in front."

The midfielder had a agreement in progress to move to Napoli in the final stages of the transfer period but the club would not approve a transfer. The striker was coming back from a fitness issue but is now considering the idea of a move back to Serie A.

The situation is made more complex by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the continental tournament in the midst of the winter, a period which includes a couple of midweek games which will demand a level of squad changes not previously needed.

Since the final is on January 18th, the duo are expected to be back well before the transfer window ends on 2 February - which could result in a delayed resolution than what eager to leave individual would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the sport," commented the coach, when questioned specifically about Zirkzee and the midfielder. "They know it's temporary.

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