Already a game behind after their appearance at the European Super Cup, United will add a postponed game against Wigan on December 21 to their backlog due to their commitments at the World Club Cup in Japan.

When their championship rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are trying to get their festive campaigns off in the right spirit, the Red Devils will do battle with six other teams for the right to be crowned world number one.

Then, when they have done, United must jet straight back home, landing back in the north-west on December 23, three days before a Boxing Day fixture at Stoke. Three days after that, they tackle Middlesbrough at Old Trafford.

And it is how they come through that gruelling schedule which will determine their fate.

"We will be away for 10 days and coming back will be a test for us," said Ferguson.

"That is where the league will be decided. How we handle that period will be crucial."

Ahead of tomorrow's trip to Everton, Ferguson notes with a wry smile that his side will have faced last season's top eight away from home before they leave for the Far East.

"They say the league is not handicapped," he said.

Not that Ferguson would have it any other way. If fate had not intervened, John Terry might have stayed on his feet as he strode up to take that fateful penalty for Chelsea in the Luzhniki Stadium and the Londoners would have scored, leaving them to juggle the fixture difficulties.

Unsurprisingly, Ferguson prefers it just the way it is.

"Of course it is worth it," he said.

"It is the world championship and we are the only English team to have won it.

"We are only in it because we have won the European Cup, so I hope we are in it for the next three years."

Nevertheless, United need to continue their six-match winning streak tomorrow as Ferguson feels matches in hand during 2009 may not necessarily translate into victories.

"By the time we get to the end of December we will have two games to make up," he said.

"If we were to have a good run in the League Cup - United face QPR at Old Trafford in the fourth round next month - which we have to try and do to be successful at all levels, the second-half of the season is going to be a big test for us.

"By New Year's Day we need to be around the top of the league to give ourselves a proper chance because those two games may be difficult for us."

There are a lot of twists yet of course, although given the respective starts of newly promoted trio Hull, West Brom and Stoke, the Scot actually feels what happens in the bottom half of the table could be more interesting than what goes on at the top.

And he also feels that Chelsea's formidable home record is more likely to fall at the hands of Arsenal than Liverpool, who visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

"Chelsea will lose eventually and it could happen Sunday, although I think Arsenal have a better chance because they can win games," said Ferguson.

"Historically, matches between Chelsea and Liverpool have been so tight a draw would be the favoured result.

"There have been quite a few goalless draws in the last few years and you would imagine there will not be many goals."

Not that Ferguson wants Chelsea to lose against either Liverpool or Arsenal.

He would prefer a couple of draws, with someone else coming out on top against Luis Felipe Scolari's men.

"Chelsea won't just collapse because they lose one game," said Ferguson.

"But I would rather they lost that record to someone outside the top four because the teams in it can get results against each other."