{'A Distinct Vibe' - Have Man Utd Demonstrated a Mentality Shift?

If you can't triumph, avoid defeat - as the proverb states.

Before their visit to Forest, Manchester United had secured merely eight points from losing positions under Ruben Amorim. They had not got any from the previous six games when they were losing since the trip to AFC Bournemouth last April, when a late goal snatched a tie.

When they found themselves trailing at the stadium after conceding twice in a short span, as Forest reversed a controversial first-half opener, Manchester United were facing defeat.

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

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

The response was equally emphatic.

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

We can never know the actual outcome. However, we do know that Amad Diallo showed why the coach selects him at wing-back by flashing home a spectacular first-time volley from near the edge of the box nine minutes from time to secure a point.

It's been clear since the beginning of the season that United are playing better this term. Since the beginning of October, they have additionally been achieving more positive outcomes.

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

In this game, Amorim felt his players demonstrated they have improved at that as well.

"Previously, if we had such a poor short period and we conceded a couple of goals, we don't recover," said 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 mindset a big team occasionally must possess."

The manager didn't mention it, but the arrival of the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo must have helped.

The attacker is not the type to retreat from challenging circumstances, on the contrary in fact. In the first half, when he was booed by the local supporters for what they felt was his tactical play, he responded - rather than ignore it - gesturing toward the badge on his kit.

Mbeumo is a constant threat, the perfect example of a player who will never allow an opponent a moment's peace.

The coach was asked exactly what had led to the psychological growth. Beyond saying the self-belief gained from the previous three successive wins, he didn't provide an answer.

"Our self-belief, naturally, is totally changed," he stated. "We came from three good games and we have a newfound assurance. We understand each other better. We communicate increased about these aspects.

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

"We just need to remain engaged in the game until the last moments. Previously, we could have collapsed completely the way we performed in the encounter. Now, the impression was not that one."

Doubt Remains Over Prospects of the striker and the midfielder

While this represented a occasion when the team displayed their resilience, it was also a moment that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and the young midfielder increasingly uncertain of their roles in Amorim's new-look squad.

In his before the game press conference, Amorim stated it was possible players who believe they are at risk of missing the international tournament will ask to leave in the January transfer window.

One can reasonably conclude Zirkzee and the midfielder fall into that category. Zirkzee has accumulated 82 minutes from his 4 top-flight cameo roles this season. For the young player, the total is over two hours from 7.

Not one has started a league game so far and neither were they called upon to come off the bench at the stadium, as the team sought a route to recovery into a game they were losing from the 50th minute.

"Our squad includes a lot of talent on the bench but sometimes I have the feeling if I'm going to stop the flow constantly, I'm going to break something," explained Amorim. "Our performance was getting better during the later stages, so my feeling was to avoid altering the setup with the players in front."

The midfielder had a deal in progress to join Napoli in the final stages of the transfer period but the club would not sanction a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from injury but is currently open to the possibility of a move back to Italy.

The circumstances is complicated by the absence of the winger and the wing-back to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of December, a time which includes a couple of midweek games which will demand a degree of squad changes not previously needed.

Since the championship match is on January 18th, the pair are expected to be returned well before the signing period ends on February 2nd - which could result in a delayed resolution than what wantaway player would prefer.

"This is about the characteristics of the sport," said the coach, when asked specifically about Zirkzee and Mainoo. "They know it's only a phase.

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