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If Ferguson hoped for a footballing Santa Claus to deliver him that vital moment he found it in the shape of Wayne Rooney.
Rooney scored twice, hit the bar and produced another virtuoso performance against a Wigan side which never abandoned its attacking philosophy.
Rooney delivered the present but it was gift wrapped by Rio Ferdinand's first goal for the club and a superb supporting act from Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Ferdinand broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when her rose above Pascal Chimbonda to connect with Ryan Giggs' in-swinging corner.
Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt got his hand to the ball but only succeeded in diverting it into the bottom corner of the net.
If United's first goal was simple then their second and third strikes were sublime.
In the 34th minute Darren Fletcher cut the ball back from the right edge of the penalty area to Rooney just inside the Wigan box.
The 20-year-old England star won his block tackle with Matt Jackson and then glided past Leighton Baines before scoring with a crisp left-foot shot.
Rooney's second goal nine minutes after the interval was another superb piece of cheeky skill.
Released through the middle by van Nistelrooy's pass, he took the ball into the Wigan box before finishing with a delicate right-foot chip from 15 yards.
United completed the scoring after 69 minutes. van Nistelrooy went down when touched by Pollitt as he raced on to a pass from Giggs and the Dutchman sent the goalkeeper the wrong way as he stroked his spot-kick into the bottom corner.
Rooney should also have scored in the 54th minute when his close-range shot cannoned back off the Wigan bar but nobody at Old Trafford was complaining.